


Dangers Untold

by babewithepower



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Fantasy, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2018-09-12 23:12:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 35,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9094879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babewithepower/pseuds/babewithepower
Summary: Fifteen years after Sarah William's magical exploits in the land of the Labyrinth, she realizes her desire to once again be a part of that fantastical world. Calling upon Jareth, the Goblin King, the two begin to rekindle their romance. However, when a string of impossible occurrences involving a rift to an alternate timeline begin to attack everything Sarah has ever known to be true, will she be able to overcome her fears and choose herself over the life she's always wanted? Or will she be consumed by the fact that absolutely nothing is what it seems...?





	1. The Red Book

“Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City. For my will is as strong as yours and my-”

“Stop! Wait,” He commanded, an eager hush in his voice. He held out his hand revealing a small orb, an object she had seen many times. “Look, Sarah. Look what I’m offering you. _Your dreams._ ” A tortured smile played on his lips. She looked at the sphere and saw all her dreams swimming within it. She could see every wish she’d ever had, hers for the taking. But she wouldn't be bought with wishes. She had come too far. _I have to save Toby._

Her brow knotted. She took a determined step forward. “And my kingdom as great.” Her voice was unwavering. She would not let him win. No, she was much too stubborn for that. 

“I ask for so little,” he pleaded. A heat grew around him, his eyes engulfed in indomitable flames. He would not lose her. “Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want.” He raised the globe. It gleamed with the promise of a perfect life. He tilted his head in offering, his long white hair bobbing to the side. A silence stood. She turned. “And my kingdom as great…” she repeated, “Damn, I can never remember that line.” Her voice was hushed. She sought her mind for the words. _My kingdom as great_ … 

 “Just fear me. Love me. Do as I say and _I will be your slave_.”

She looked to the ground, a million thoughts rushing her head. " _My kingdom as great. My kingdom as great!_ " she thought aloud. Her eyes grew wide as she raised her head to him. His face softened, his body sank. 

“You have no power over me!” Her words seemed to echo, shaking the entire world around her. A look of agony befell his face as he collapsed into a mass of flowing garments and chunks of old stone. The orb traveled into her hand and burst. She felt a feeling of discontent dwelling deep in the pit of her stomach, but it was immediately overshadowed by immense power and a quickly fleeting satisfaction. _I won._ The clock stuck thirteen.

 

* * *

  

She remembered it vividly, like it had just happened yesterday. Sometimes she would even forget that fifteen years had already gone by. So often she found herself lost in her memories, captured in her dreams, only to be brought out by an inopportune knock at the door or the dreaded ‘go-to-work’ alarm. Thankfully, now was not a time when her life forced her to acknowledge it, and she barricaded herself back into her drifty mind.   

As time had gone on- _devastatingly quickly,_ she noted- she began to realize that all she really had of that place were her memories. Her past, her adventure, her friends... It all was gone. It all was over. She had even lost her book. 

Her eyes glistened tearfully as she thought about Hoggle, Ludo, and Didymus, and the last time she had seen them. _It must be nearing ten years, now._ She sighed. As a young girl she had thought that they'd abandoned her. As she grew she realized that it was just the process of time. They had stuck around for a good few years, their visits becoming erratic, until finally halting to a solid stop. They had probably just gone on with their normal lives; lives that didn't involve her. They'd probably forgotten her by now. She frowned. Time had forced her to give up so much: her dreams, her friends, her fantasies. The child within her was infuriated at this concept and had screamed at her often to fight it, but the elder simply accepted. _That’s simply how grown up life is_ , she would tell herself. But her retort had lost its impact. 

She sighed, stowing away young Sarah until the need arose again. She was no longer the ball of fire that the Goblin King had tormented. She had been ruined. The real world was not like what she had read about in stories. There's no simple, perfect happily ever after. The fairy doesn't always come to the rescue. The heroine doesn't end up with the prince. _Or the king,_ she thought.

She sunk into her pillows as her mind boomeranged back to him. She wondered if he would even remember her after all this time. He had probably moved on to another young girl who was much more interesting than she. _I wonder what he’s up to_ … She caught herself daydreaming about him again. She swore she would stop. But how could she? She was a child, and he was a mystery. In all honesty, she blamed him for her inability to let go. It _was_ all his doing, after all. She pressed her eyes shut as her youth resurfaced and ran angrily inside her head,

_Come on, Ms. Williams, what is wrong with you? You need to stop thinking about that psycho!_

_I know. I know, but I just can't. Believe me, if I could, I would!_

_Oh, really? Well, come on them. Let's list all the reasons why we HATE him!_

_Well, hate is such a strong word..._

_One: he kidnapped Toby._

_Oh, come on. I did sort of ask him to._

_Still, he KIDNAPPED TOBY. So, that's one mark against him. Let's see, what else? Oh, I know! He almost killed you. A few times._

_Well.. not directly... really._

_Yeah, sure. Whatever you say. And then, oh yes! Three: those pants. Come on, he's supposed to be a king, right? Could he actually not find a decent pair of pants?_

_Well, to be honest, I didn't really mind the pants..._

_Please tell me you did not just say that..._

“What is wrong with you, Sarah?” She pressed her face deeper in the blanket, her cheeks flushed. She wondered if he could see her dreams right now, if he could see how much he plagued her. She wished secretly in her heart for him to come back, but the words did not pass her lips. So she just sat and thought, and soon, she trailed off to sleep. 

 

Darkness. Never ending darkness. She walked and walked through the endless abyss. A familiar voice rose from behind her, “Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it’s too late.” She turned.

“The Goblin King?” she gasped. _No, not the real one._ _A memory_ , she thought. Still, even if he wasn’t real, it was good to see him again, if only in a dream. She turned as another voice rose behind her, “So, the Labyrinth’s a piece of cake, is it? Well, let’s see how you deal with this little slice.” The duplicate threw one of his small spheres toward her head. It flew past and crashed to the floor, a bombardment of words spilling out of it. Small voices began to intensify, until they were almost screaming. Memories filled the emptiness, memories of him. Words upon words overlapped. Hundreds of bodies and hundreds of voices surrounded her. Soon, she was in a mob. She spun in panic. One face. One man. The chanting became harsher and louder. She clasped her face and fell to the floor, the intensity overpowering her. 

“Sarah,” the surrounding voices stopped in an instant. She gasped and brought her head up. 

“I warned you not to cross me, dear. Why didn’t you listen?” 

She slowly stood and turned in the direction of the voice. All the forms had vanished, leaving only one. It was him. Her heart beat rapidly, though her emotions were jumbled. 

“The Goblin King,” she whispered. “Why are you…” Her voice trailed off as he took a long stride toward her. He reached out a hand to touch her cheek. In reflex, she took a wary step back, knowing she really shouldn’t be happy to see him. Her eyes fluttered. She was. 

He scoffed, “Same Sarah. Oh, you have changed very little. _You_ called me here and still you are so cruel!” He laughed. His teeth pointed in his sinister grin. “I have a name you know.” His voice was soft. 

Her brow bunched in confusion. _He did, didn't he? I think Hoggle said it once..._ Her memories reeled through her mind as she tried to remember. Her eyes sparkled as it came to her. “Jareth,” she said quietly. 

He nodded, grinning. “My dear, somehow my name sounds even more perfect through your lips.” He leaned forward causing Sarah to flinch. “Say my name more.”

“Ja-Jareth...” She stuttered, blushing. It felt strange saying his name, but she sort of liked it. Much better than Goblin King, anyway. “I… don’t know what to say,” she laughed, studying his face. He was older, definitely, but he was just as handsome as she remembered. And just as threatening. Her eyes caught his, but only for a moment. She looked to the ground and brought a hand to her face. Her skin tingled with embarrassment, red from her blush. He laughed a thunderous laugh, which trailed into the darkness. 

“You’re horrible,” she concluded, confidence rising in her voice. Her hand fell back to her waist. “And I didn’t call you.”

His eyes hardened. She smiled at him and breathed a laugh.

“Not to say I didn’t want to.” 

A commanding look took his face and he nodded. He took another step forward and leaned down to her ear. She gasped sharply, frozen. He smiled through his teeth and cooed, “See you soon. Until then, sweet dreams, _Sarah_ …”

 

Her eyes burst open and she awoke with a start. Her heart was racing. She smiled. She stretched her arms widely and sighed. Was that a dream? Was it real? It felt real, or at the very least unlike any dream she'd had before. Could it be, that after all these years of waiting, she would finally get the chance to go back to the life that she longed for so deeply? She didn’t know. Only one thing was for sure. She chuckled. She squished her face in her sheet trying to suppress a smile. She was going to see him again. 

However, as weeks passed without any sign of anything magical, she decided to demote her encounter to a simple dream, rather than a surreal prediction of the future. She went back to completing her menial tasks, and contemplating the dullness of her life. Day after day, her annoyance at herself grew stronger. What was wrong with her? Dreaming of a man who she hadn’t seen in over fifteen years and thinking he’s just going to show up and whisk her away? She wasn’t that special. She knew that. He probably didn’t even care anymore. _He probably wasn’t even real_. She gasped, fright welling up inside her. She hated that thought. She tried to push it out of her head, but it was still there- always- stuck to her subconscious. She remembered Peter Pan and all the lost boys. How after they left Neverland, they began to lose belief. Then they began to forget. Then it was lost. Forever. _No, of course it was real._ But it was always her biggest fear- maybe her only fear. She refused to ever let it go, after all she had gone through to keep it, after all the real world consequences her beautiful, magical memories brought. _Of course it was real._ A tear tumbled down her cheek. She _had_ been ruined. Not strong Sarah, or fiery Sarah, or stubborn Sarah. Just Sarah. Simple ruined Sarah.

_It’s not fair…_

That night, she had a nice dinner of cheap wine and cheaper Chinese takeout. With each movement she made, her heart ached. And after a quiet breakdown, and nearly a full bottle of alcohol, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

 

Again, all she could see was darkness. It chilled her to her core. A whisper sung disturbingly in her ear, _it’s only forever. It’s not long at all_. She spun around to the voice. Darkness. She stumbled backwards. _Don’t tell me truth hurts, little girl, ‘cause it hurts like hell_. The voice breathed warmly on her skin. She could feel it; she turned again. Nothing. _No one can blame you for walking away_. It rang through her bones. The voice was threatening, yet familiar, and it taunted her with great force. _You’re lost and you’re lonely_ … 

“Stop…” she whispered anxiously. 

_Life can be easy, it’s not always swell_ , it replied. Its ominousness was disconcerting. _I’m underground_ …    

She closed her eyes, and only listened to the words, the tone, the eerie song articulated by the voice. She heard pain, longing, and other sorrowful emotions that she knew had grown in her as well. 

_Down in the under ground_ , it continued, _you’ll find someone true_ …   

“Jareth?” she realized. With her eyes closed, she followed the voice. She knew he was there. She outstretched her arms and felt around her, finally meeting her fingertips to his leather-lined torso. She traced the slick buttons of his jacket up, finding a small pressured beat against her hand. She thought she noticed it quicken, but chalked it down to her own heartbeat’s erraticism. She dropped her arm to her side and bit her lip.

“What’s with the singing?” she laughed.

_I saw my baby crying hard as babe could cry. What could I do? My baby’s love had gone, and left my baby blue_.

“So you decided to help me by singing? And what love?” She could feel herself blushing again. She continued, “Can I open my eyes now?”

_Your eyes can be so cruel_. 

“Just like _you_ can be so cruel.”  She opened her eyes. 

 

She was back on her couch, a half empty wine glass and chow fun noodles cold and useless on the table. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. She pulled her knees to her chest. “It’s only forever,” she repeated, “not long at all,” and fell back to sleeping. She had no other dreams that night. 

The next day was spectacularly dull. She went to work, came home, changed her clothes, and sat on the couch. Her head fell into her hands and she groaned. She slumped up and looked around, only now noticing a flash of red on the table. Her eyes grew wide as she reached out for it. It was a small book, old and leafy. Its cover was slightly faded, but the gold writing on it still shined. _The Labyrinth_ , it called to her sweetly. She perked up and looked around the small space. An owl peered at her through a window on the far wall. She blinked and it was gone. She looked back to the book and smiled giddily. She giggled like a child as she bit her lip. He had sent her a message. And now she had a choice: stay or go. Of course, her decision was obvious. There would be no more waiting, no more wanting days, no more wandering Sarah.

She set the book down and called, “I wish the Goblin King would come take _me_ away,” she let her eyes fall shut, “ _Right now_ …” A soft air touched her cheek and wandered through her hair. She felt a gust of wind encircle her, and knew that he had answered her wish. She smiled widely and opened her eyes… but was still on the couch. Confused, twitchy eyes sunk to the ground, her heart somehow lower. _Maybe it wasn’t real, after all._  

The window creaked. She spun around eagerly. It was open, swinging gently in the breeze. She stood up, not taking her eyes off the window. A dark silhouette elevated onto its frame. His arms were crossed and his smile reminded her of a wolf’s. Her brow furrowed and she stomped towards him. She looked at him for a moment in disbelief. He laughed triumphantly. 

She raised her arm and slugged him squarely in the shoulder- partly out of anger and partly to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. He stumbled back in surprise and quite a bit of pain. 

“You awful sadistic man!” she cried out, trembling, “How could you ever let me think it wasn’t real?” He looked at her confused. He said nothing, his mismatched eyes intent on her. He stepped forward and roughly put an arm around her. She roughly pushed him away and eyed him warily. He laughed and moved forward, stroking her chin with his thumb. He replied slowly, “I knew you would wish for me.” 

She swiped his hand away from her face. Her mouth twitched as he looked her up and down. She didn't fully understand why she was so angry. _Probably because he totally abandoned you all this time… or maybe you're just mad at yourself for not doing this ten years ago_ , young Sarah chimed _._ Her eyes met his. He laughed, standing akimbo, looking down on her with playful eyes, “I answer your wishes and yet you spurn me. You are certainly full of peasantry.”

“What?” she said softly, looking at him with a quiet fury in her eyes.

“I’ve been here in this wretched hole for two whole minutes already, and not once have you sung my praises. I am a king you know.”

“What?” she repeated. _Nope, you're definitely mad at him._  

He smiled broadly. He looked at her, a little ball of willpower just waiting to be broken. Who better to tame her than a king? He needed to prove his power to her, to show her that he was stronger than a mere girl- the one soul that had ever had any power over him. He outstretched his arm to her- no incentives, no trades. She eyed his hand suspiciously. 

Her eyes squinted in thought. She turned and looked at her world. It was miserable. It was dull. In her head, another memory spoke loudly, “ _Look at what I’m offering you… This is not a gift for an ordinary girl…”_ She took a deep breath and spun around. She grabbed his open hand and his grin widened. _I’ve won,_ his eyes read.

 

In a flash they were gone from her world-

 

And into his…


	2. Memory Lane

Her jaw dropped at the sight of it. It looked even more dilapidated and run-down than it had before, but she couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. For years, it had felt like a piece of her was missing. It was this place. This life. The Goblin King strode behind her, a glide in his step. 

“Do you remember this, Sarah? This world has been waiting for your return.” 

They were at the same spot as before- as the first time. She grinned. She couldn’t believe she was back.

“Well, I’ve been waiting for it, too,” she said. She looked upon the extensive routes and passageways of the labyrinth, twists and turns traveling up to what she knew to be the Goblin City. The sky was a foggy yellow, the sand likewise. She didn’t just _look_ at it last time. It was beautiful, in a crude way.

“Sarah,” he called. She looked to him. He really was a king. His kingdom stood sturdily, and had a splendor to it if you really looked. It had an undeniable allure, as did he. He held out another bubble-like sphere between them. It sparkled in the orange light, shining in the sun. She smiled and stepped towards him. 

“ _I will be your slave_ ,” he breathed softly. He bent down, inches from her face. She let a slight laugh escape her lips. She looked down at the crystal, then back into the eyes of the man. Her eyes sparkled confidently and she began to laugh in a way much nearing hysteria. 

“Oh, Goblin King, Goblin King! You really are something! I’m still _very_ angry at you, you know!” she laughed.

“What?” he said defensively, disappearing the orb into the cuff of his sleeve, “I let you assault me, was that not compensation enough?”

“Oh, no,” she snickered, “That was _pretty_ compensating. It’s just,” she turned back to him, “I’ve been here for about five minutes already, and not once have you sung my praises.”

He eyed her and neared close again, “You are so cruel to me.” He brushed her cheek with the dorsum of his gloved hand. She gasped sharply, startled by the gesture. He smiled debonairly, “You better hurry, Sarah,” he said in a hush.

“For what?” she replied, red-faced and dazed.

“There is a ball being held in your honor tonight at the castle. I pray you won’t keep me waiting.” He strode backwards and disappeared. Sarah looked around, now noticing the apparent mirroring of her first adventure here. The mix of an arrogant king, hidden intentions, and the need to get to the castle added up to a story she knew all too well. She laughed, then sighed. 

“Well, he’s a man of consistency, I’ll give him that. Come on, feet. This should be pretty familiar.” She stumbled down the rocky side of the knoll to the gate of the labyrinth. It was massive. She was stunned.

“Well?  Are you just gonna stand there and stare at it? Or are you gonna move?” A gruff voice crowed. She jumped in surprise. 

“Oh, well, I suppose I’m going in,” she looked at the portly goblin in confusion. She had half expected him to be Hoggle, “Who are you?” 

“I’m Spat,” he wiggled a pudgy finger deep into his droopy grey ear, Sarah was sure it touched his brain- granted that he had one. She winced. He was definitely one of the uglier goblins she’d met. “And you’re gonna be late,” he growled.

“Well, I would go in, but I never can find the way.” She neared the large brick wall surrounding the labyrinth, eyeing it for an opening, “Do you think you could give me a hand?”

The ogre humphed in disagreement. He waddled to one section of the wall and pushed on it, the stone fanning out like a door.

“Oh,” Sarah said halfheartedly, “I remember the gate being bigger last time?”

“Yeah, well, cutbacks, ya know? Anyway, come on! Sometime this century!” he huffed. Sarah nodded and walked through the small entrance, only to have it be slammed harshly behind her. _Rude,_ she thought, eying the wall harshly. 

But her anger at the goblin was short lived. She was back in the labyrinth. Her mouth pulled to the side as she remembered. She looked left and right. _Endless_. She started walking.

She began to become extremely agitated. She grunted. She must have been walking for hours. She knew there were openings, openings she couldn’t see. She scoffed and sunk against a wall, patting down on the rocky floor. 

“Allo again,” a familiar voice whispered. Sarah perked up and looked to the ledge of the wall. Her eyes grew wide and she blinked in disbelief.

“Y’alright?” The worm’s high pitched voice sounded concerned. 

“Uh, yeah! I’m a bit stuck again, aren’t I?” She breathed a laugh, amazed by this coincidence. 

“I told ya’ before. It’s fulla’ openin’s!” the worm said, “Just gotta look for ‘em. So, what’re you up to now then, eh?” 

“I’m supposed to get to the castle,” she sighed.

“The castle? You don’t mean _that_ castle do ya?” The little creature was speechless, “Rynette! Rynette! This girl’s goin’ to the castle!” he called towards a small hole in the stone. A small, rotund worm slunk out, a minuscule bonnet covering her little worm head.  

“She what? Why’d she do that?” she sneered in a low guttural voice.

“Well, I have a party to go to,” Sarah sighed, “And I guess, since I am at this exact spot, that must mean the opening is _here_ , right? What are the odds?” she stood up and walked straight ahead, straight into where the wall would’ve been. But, instead of walking through the passage, her face collided with the old rocky wall. She stumbled backwards and rubbed sore nose.

“We switched walls,” the lady-worm said nonchalantly. 

“Did you?” Sarah jeered, “Thanks for telling me.” She held out her hands and inched forward on the other side. She walked straight through the wall. She smiled in triumph. She started off to the right.

“Wait!” the worm called, “If you’re going to the castle, best go left!” 

Sarah poked out of the opening and looked confusedly at the tiny creature. “What do you mean? Last time I was here you said never to go that way.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you go down that way and go straight to that terrible kingdom up there,” he concluded. 

“Nasty bunch of buggas’,” his missus agreed. 

“So this way would have led me to the castle last time?!”

“About so,” he nodded. He pulled his tiny body back in his hole in the wall, followed by the she-worm. Sarah sighed in disbelief and turned left, walking straight to the entrance to the Goblin Kingdom.   

It only took her a matter of minutes.

She looked around, so many memories flooding her. She felt naked without her friends. _Ludo, Didymus, Hoggle_. She missed them. A screeching noise startled her and brought her out of her daze. Two massive metal doors began to close, starting to form a giant mechanical guardian. Her heart beat fast as she recalled the fight between her friends and the massive metal man. She could not battle this terror alone.

The doors had almost closed fully when her solitary instinct took over. She rushed to the doors and slipped through the crack, just as they shut fully. On the opposite side of the door, she heard clanging and scratching, as if the giant was looking helplessly for the intruder. She laughed at herself for not doing that before. It would have been so much simpler if she’d have just jumped through the doors, instead of battling the beast. Everything would have been simpler if she had followed her instinct, she realized. That feeling that she’d had felt when she ‘beat’ him was her gut-instinct saying she had chosen poorly. _This_ felt right. _This_ was her gut telling her she finally made the right decision. She giggled at her sudden surety. She was finally, after all this time, _home_. 

An explosion erupted behind her, bringing her out of her daze. She turned and gasped, awestruck, as six very large, very loaded cannons aimed at her anatomy- the seventh having been recently misfired.


	3. Found

Sarah gasped as the gremlins taunted her with the iron barrels of the cannons, the ugly creatures threatening to light their knotty fuses. The goblins giggled wildly. Sinister eyes befell her. She looked about frantically for means of escape, but found none. She panted with fear and said quietly, “I’m Sarah… I came here with Jareth…” She shook with dread, knowing how trigger-happy goblins would be. She refused to die now, not after she had waited so long to be happy. 

“Sarah?” one of the goblins asked.

“Yes…” she breathed. Her eyes fell shut as she whispered, “Sarah.”

The creature looked at his companions in disbelief and screamed, “Boss!” into the air, as if he was speaking to the sky. It was unknown to Sarah how beastly their leader would be. The sound of deep growling reached her ears. She heard it nearing, snarling like a monster. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. 

_Stop taking things for granted, Sarah! You’ll be fine. You will be. You have to be._

She scowled and shoved one of the off-guard goblins off his cannon, and his cannon into the one beside. Like heavy, dangerous dominoes they fell in a pile. She sped away, the growling intensifying, and then stopped, her ears picking up a rather unique sound. Her body trembled, not fully believing her own senses. Her eyes grew wide as she realized that it _was_ to be believed. It was a voice that was so treasured to her.

“Ambrosius! Stop growling like that! Do you want to frighten away the intruder and let us lose the chance for glory?” The growling stopped, a high-pitched whine briefly taking its place. 

“Oh quiet! We must prepare for battle! Let us cleanse the scourge of the ruffian that dares to invade this city!” 

She heard him behind her as he arrived to the door. Her eyes started to well up with tears. “Didymus!” she called. The small creature and his canine steed spun around.

“My lady?” he said softly. Suddenly, the dog lunged toward her, his tongue hanging droopily out of his mouth. She knelt down and let him lick her cheek. She scratched the top of his head and laughed. Tears fell down her face. 

“Off! Off! Off!” Sir Didymus shoved Ambrosius off Sarah, the canine growling disappointedly. He noticed her tears. “Ist thou all right, my dear?”

“Oh, I just missed you too much!” Sarah grabbed her friend and hugged him tightly. She _had_ missed him too much. She had missed everything. 

The little creature’s furry brow began to knot with concern, “Why hast thou returned, my lady?”

She sighed with relief, “I think I finally made the right choice.” She smiled. The ground shook as bells began to toll as loud as thunderstorms. She looked up at the castle. 

“Come with me,” she held her hand to Didymus. He leaned into her palm.

“If thine lady wisheth it of me, then I shall do anything, but toest where, dear maiden?”

“To the castle. To the ball,” she laughed.

Didymus reeled back in obvious disgust. “I shalt not allow thine dearest Sarah to goeth forth to a ball clothed in naught but her… _unmentionables_!” Didymus whispered. Sarah looked down, not even noticing until now that she was wearing one of her more revealing pajamas. She swore under her breath, now knowing why Jareth had been so intent with looking her over earlier. She blushed as she tried hopelessly to pull certain things down and other things up. She shook her head. “Then I need to find Jareth.”

“Jareth?” Didymus reeled back, flabbergasted. “Is this wanton display his doing? Doth his torment knowest no bounds?”

“No, no. I was just caught off guard. I do need to find him though.” 

“Well, if thou doth insist, but I wisheth for thee to know that I, a noble sir and knight, am against meeting that ruffian in such an ensemble." He groaned. Suddenly his eyes lit up, sparkling. “Shall I goeth and retrieve sir Hoggle and brother Ludo and alert them of thy presence?”

“Really? Yes! Yes, of course!” her heart leapt. The small creature nodded proudly and kissed her hand. The diminutive duo scurried away, and Sarah set on to the castle beyond the goblin city. 

She stood at the large, scaled doors that led into the castle. She stepped forward and raised a hand to the ridges of the iron. She looked on, and hesitated.

“Oh, why the hesitation, precious?”

Sarah turned, startled by Jareth’s sudden appearance.

“I wasn’t hesitating,” she replied. 

“Do not lie. Would you prefer it if I sent you back to your world?” he threatened.

Her eyes squinted and she smiled coyly. “Very well, let’s go in. I’m sure you have no reservations on people seeing me like this.” 

“Like what? Beautiful?” He smiled. Sarah winced. It was all she could do not to swoon. “Personally, I am quite fond of this dress.”

“It’s barely a dress, you perv.” She laughed at his expression to the term, and softened. “Anyway, it’s not something I would wear to a ball.”    

Jareth smiled and took a step forward. He lowered his head close to hers. Her heart beat faster. _Oh, stop it you,_ Sarah thought sternly.

“Well,” Jareth grinned, “let’s remedy that, then,” He placed a hand between them. She smiled cheekily and took it. Then a flash of light encircled them. 

Like magic, she was suddenly dressed in a gold gown more beautiful than dreams. No, it wasn’t _like_ magic, it _was_ magic. She smiled, and realized she was still holding onto his hand. She gazed at their entwined fingers for what felt like eternity. It felt oddly right. Jareth lifted her chin gently with his other hand, meeting her eyes with his, “Shall we?”

She nodded. He turned and waved his hand, the doors curving open. There were so many people, so many heads, too many to even attempt counting. She smiled, the thrill of it all sinking in. The Goblin King gripped her hand, pulling her through the crowd. Still, even through all the hustling and the bustling, she noticed one thing. All eyes were on her.


	4. Museum Piece

He tugged her through the mass of masks and furs and colored skins. Through the strange looks and odd stares, she could see countless humanoid guests attending this ball, along with many rowdy goblins. Her eyes danced around, letting the fast moving throb sink in. She laughed, delighted. It was magic.

Jareth stopped abruptly and released her hand. She looked to him. He was standing in front of a small door, smaller than any of the other overly excessive ones. He materialized a key in his hand and smiled sharply, placing it in the door’s lock and turning it smoothly. It clicked open. He pulled out the door revealing a windy stone staircase. Sarah stepped in and looked up. It was very tall- endless. She turned back to Jareth confused.

“Where does this lead?” she asked.

“Wherever you wish it to, my dear,” he laughed. 

“Are we not going to dance?” she whispered half disappointedly. Jareth smiled slyly and grabbed her hand, kissing it politely. He released her and the door began to close, all the noises fading away. All she could hear was his mysterious laughing. It too faded out into naught but silence. She looked up again and began to climb. 

She was amazed at how high the stairs reached. She rounded the steps again and again, yet her legs remained untired. She searched for doorways, for openings, for anything, any way to see where Jareth was leading her. A soft wind blew her hair gently and she turned to it. An archway stood across from her. She looked down and now saw a solid flooring beneath her feet. The stairway was gone. 

Her curiosity rose at the sudden addition to Jareth’s puzzle for her. This was where he wanted her to be. _Or maybe it’s where_ I _want to be_ , Sarah thought at the recollection of his words to her. _Wherever you wish it…_ Her eyes fell shut and she stepped through the arch, feeling a wave of magic flow through her. She lifted her lids and looked around. 

She was in a room. Her old room, she realized. As old memories flooded back she saw that the archway had vanished, but that didn’t bother her. _Everything’s not what it seems in this place_. So she looked at her old home and fondly remembered. Suddenly, her brow knotted as she noticed a disturbing pattern among her belongings. Everywhere there stood tokens of her adventures in the Labyrinth. Her dolls, toys, books, and treasures all seemed to illustrate her journey there. She looked at her room intently, never before realizing that mostly everything she had in her younger years had been, in some way, connected to the labyrinth. Her eyes opened wide as she saw the stone Jareth on her desk, a bookend that flawlessly resembled Hoggle, and other objects paralleling her incredible trek to another world. She ran to her old music box and turned its key. The dancer started spinning and a soft song began to play through its chimes. Her heart stopped as she recognized the tune. _It's the same as the one he sang,_ she thought. She eyed the dancer, recognizing the dress she had worn, knowing it to have been her. She spun around and took in the shock of apparent realization. She stopped as a tear fell down her face. She was looking in the mirror, in the same clothes as that day. The day everything had changed. She pulled herself closer to the glass, seeing every ounce of age wiped away. She was fifteen again. She turned and looked at her bed. It had always used to welcome her. She ran to it and leapt on its softness. Was it _all_ a dream?

Her rational side her told her to believe it. Her Sarah side told her not to. She looked up at her popcorn ceiling and sighed as a tear bubbled down her cheek. She had, again, become vulnerable, so _not_ Sarah, but she didn’t care. She blamed it on stories and fairy tales and happy endings. Her sorrow fell away and she sat up disappointedly. Then a light came to her eyes and she looked around. He had done this to her before. He had made her believe that it was all a dream, only to ‘wake up’ in the exact place she had been. _In the Labyrinth_. She walked to the door that led out of her bedroom and clutched its knob. 

“If he did this to me again,” she stated through bared teeth. She began to open the door, “So help me I’ll string him up by those god-forsakenly tight pants of his and…” she growled through incoherent profanity.

“I don’t know about punishment, dear, it sounds like I might enjoy that,” Jareth stood against the doorframe, his smug, arrogant face always there to greet her. Sarah huffed and poked her head out of the room. She saw it to be the only door along a long stone hallway. Her brow revealed her anger and she hopped out of the room, out of the Goblin King’s grasp. 

She stood in the great stone hall and looked at Jareth angrily. A gleam sparkled in her view and her attention was brought to a sparkling, gold plaque just outside the door. Jareth still stood in the doorframe as Sarah stared blankly at its inscription. 

 

This is a akurate reprezentasion of

SARAH WILLIAMZ bedroom

It has ben desined with the most perfekt

Details imaginublle and has been aprooved

By the Sarah Williams club to protray

100% Akuracie.

Dounated and sponsered by the Goblin King

 

She looked back to Jareth in disbelief. She scoffed and walked down the stone. She stopped briefly to look down at her attire, to see if she was still in her fifteen-year-old garb. No, she was in the gown again, shimmering in the light of another world. She grunted and fell to the floor, her emotions not even willing her to stand. Jareth strode over, and stood above her, his arms crossed. 

“Do you not like it?” he asked, with a level of sincerity that she thought was beyond him. She shook her head gently.

“This- coming here all those years ago, it was the best part of my life. It made me feel special, different, strong. It made me think I could do anything if I put my mind to it,” she sighed and felt her face begin to moisten with the buds of many tears. She hated showing him her weakness, but knew he was the only one she could talk to. She continued, “It was always a nightmare of mine that this- this place, these people, my friends, you- that all of it was nothing but a dream. I never gave up, until today. Twice. _You_ made me not believe. _You_ did. What are you doing? Why did you bring me here? Just tell me. Honestly,” she wiped her face and cupped it in her hands, “ _Why am I here?_ ” she cried, muffled. The king knelt down to her and pulled off his gloves. He brought his hand to her face and she moved her own hands down to her lap. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and scooted closer to her, his own legs tangled up in the mass of fabric strewn from her dress. 

“Do you really not know why you’re here?” He laughed. It wasn’t menacing or mysterious, it was just a laugh. It too was sincere, and it was catching Sarah off guard. He leaned forward and brought his eyes an inch away from hers. She stopped crying and remained still, waiting for him to act. He smiled a smile she never thought she'd see. It was kind, lovely. His face was full of  emotions she could not decipher. He stroked her hair with the back of his hand. His eyes were so close, and so soft. She had been so stubborn about her feelings. She had tried countless times to convince herself she hated him, but now, he was here. He was real. He was close, and she could not bear it.

In one swift motion Sarah wrapped her arms around him. He stumbled back, off-balance, but soon embraced her as well. He cupped her head in his delicate hands and said softly, “I _will_ be here for you, always…”

Sarah closed her eyes, tears dripping out of them. She felt herself nod, as his heart skipped a beat. 

_“As the world falls down…”_


	5. Reunion

It was hard to say exactly when it started. It was just a feeling- a simple, slight feeling of no real consequence. It stayed with her, at the back of her mind, at the pit of her stomach. It was her impulse. It was her instinct. It was her conscience, her mind’s mind, her _force_. It talked to her, made itself known. When she made a wrong decision, there it was. When she did something dishonest, there it was. There it was- _always_. Currently, it was silent, following _her_ will, following _her_ whim. She could not have been more pleased. Sarah took its hush as a sign that she had made the right decision. She wasn’t sure if it was a good one, necessarily, but she knew it was the right one.

She leaned out her window, where she could see the entire Goblin City. She could see bumbling creatures of all shapes and sizes, chaotically running around. She laughed. She lightened her thoughts, the whole subject of right and wrong for another day. This _was_ right, anyway. She could feel it. She smiled. 

It still didn’t feel real to her. She had been there a day. She had slept in the overly lavish bed Jareth had made for her in an overly lavish room. She remembered how he had made a point of telling her, with great pride, how the giant diamond shaped window in her room was the only place in the castle where you could see the entire kingdom. And it truly was reason to be proud. The kingdom was breathtaking. She pulled her body slightly out of the window to broaden her gaze, long cords of fabric flowing in the wind, stringing off of her extravagant gown. The sunset was catching on its silk, making the dress look alive. _He certainly is talented_. She sighed, taking in his creation, feeling the cool air sting at her face. 

Suddenly, she saw a massive figure approaching down on the ground. She peered at the beast, and her heart leapt as she realized who it was. She bolted down five flights of stairs and reached the main entrance. The doors opened wide at her approach. Just outside the castle doors, there stood three small beings and one large thing. The thing’s hair reached the floor, and his ears, which jolted out by his massive horns, closely followed. His toothy mouth opened wide.

“Sarah?” he spoke.

“Ludo!” She cried. Sarah hugged him tightly, and then looked to the others, “Hoggle?” 

“Yeah,” the portly goblin kicked the ground, his sparkling blue eyes gleaming. Sarah bent down and put her arms around his small stature. She pulled back and looked at her friends.

“Thank you Sir Didymus!” she ran her hand over the hairs on his head. He growled in delight. 

“T’was nothing, my lady. Although my dear brother Ludo was rather difficult to track, even for a knight of my caliber.”

“Ludo searching.” The beast moaned.

“Searching for what?” the girl smiled.

“Searching for Sarah.”

“What?” Sarah’s elated expression diminished, replaced quickly by one of confusion. Hoggle stepped forward with a sigh.

“Sarah, Jareth didn’t want ya’ to see us. He said if we tried to find ya’, he’d feed us to the Xylodor. But, we wanted to see you. We did.” He grabbed her hand and smiled. 

“Xylodor?” Sarah queried, concern filling her voice.

“Big. Scary!” Ludo pulled his large hands over his face.

“Why would he do that?” Sarah looked out into the deserted nothingness past the wall of the labyrinth. 

“Jareth? Well, why does he do anything?” Hoggle interjected, “To win.”

“But cutting me off… That’s cheating…” Sarah’s eyes jittered around, looking for answers.

“It seems to be his specialty, my lady.”

“Yeah. He not good.”

Sarah’s mind swam and her head was heavy. How could he have done that to her? Cut off all connection between her and her friends? When they stopped appearing to her, her heart had been torn in two. It was the beginning of her weakness. She had hated herself then. She had hated the person she had become. Had he seen her? Had he seen her pain? She pictured him smiling victoriously thinking, ‘not long now’ as she cried herself to sleep with a glass of wine most nights, knowing that she would soon call on her savior, her love, the oh-so-great Goblin King. 

“Sarah?” Hoggle grabbed her hand, “Y’alright?”

Her thoughts snapped back to her friends. They were here _now_. She smiled to the best of her ability and stood up.

“So then, what does someone do for fun in the goblin city? When they're not, you know, fighting for their lives?" She half smiled. Ludo’s eyes sparkled and he grabbed her hand, beginning to drag her away. Hoggle and Didymus followed, trailed by Ambrosius. They all got into cheerful antics, the day slipping past in a second. She arrived back to the castle chaperoned by her friends. She waved goodbye lovingly and smiled. They left, her smile fading away. She still didn’t understand. How could he _ever_ have taken them away from her? _Whatever it takes to win_ , she remembered. Her lips twisted to the side tightly. _Screw him!_ She screamed internally, _if this is all one big game to him, then I’m sure as hell going to win it!_

She turned and went back inside the castle, the doors swiftly shutting behind her, and the faint sound of laughter reverberating off the walls.


	6. Not Jareth

Sarah rushed to find him. Her feet moved with determination and rage, tracking down the Goblin King like bloodhounds. She arrived at two massive golden doors, intricately designed. As she stepped forward, they opened swiftly, Jareth standing opposite her. She gasped, surprised.

“Sarah? Dear, what is the matter? You look dreadful.” He kept walking, craning his head, so his eyes never left hers. 

“What’s the matter?” She stomped over to him and glared through twisted, unkempt hair. She pulled her head up and looked at him with knives shooting out of her icy eyes. She coughed into her hand. She fluttered her eyelids shut in thought. _Wait a second, Sarah. You can’t just yell at him outright. Be clever!_ She sighed as her hand slid back down to her waist and her lips formed a tight, convincing smile. “Why, nothing is. It’s just- I was wandering through your magnificent castle and heard some little birds gossiping. About me, it seemed.”

Jareth jolted and turned away from her. “Really?” he said gruffly. 

“Yes,” Sarah continued shrewdly, “Well, not me _exactly_. Might I ask, what _is_ a Xylodor anyway?”

The Goblin King turned back around and beamed. "It's my- how would a human say it- my garbage disposal. Except it's alive. And it has _very_ sharp teeth." He stepped forward and whispered suggestively, “Why, do you want to see it?”

She squinted at him through her angled brow, “Maybe. I guess it makes sense for me to meet the monster that you were going to feed my friends to!”

A small laugh emanated through his kingly smile, “That little Hagrel told you that, did he? I must say I am surprised at his defiance! Still,” his voiced hushed, “I will have to punish him for that.”

“You will do nothing of the sort.” 

“And why is that?” He stepped towards her, a mischievous glare overtaking his face. Sarah sighed and took a step toward him. 

“Because I asked you to.”  

This was the moment. Sarah saw something in his eyes that she had never seen before. It was almost… _Fear?_ _No, that’s not it_ , she thought. She never could decipher his expressions, but as she peered at his sharp features and tried to piece together his emotions she thought she caught a glimpse of true surrender. Her eyes mirrored his _._ Jareth sighed heavily.

“Well, if you wish it, I suppose. Though,” he grabbed her arm and swiftly pushed her against the wall. She let out a cry of shock. He continued gravely, “I am not your slave yet, my dear. I shall spare Hogsmede out of kindness, nothing more.” He held her, in silence, pinned to the wall. She did not struggle, or try to get away. _He needs to prove that he is more powerful_ , she thought, a slight feeling of superiority welling up inside her. _I guess I’ll allow it_. She smiled softly. She brought her eyes up to his. He gazed at her face, his eyes resting on her lips. Her eyes grew wide as his head leaned down, his lips almost meeting hers. Her heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird- faster probably. Her eyes pressed shut as she tried to mentally prepare herself. But no kiss occurred. Suddenly, he released his grasp with a jolt, pushing away from her, disappearing in a gust of white smoke.

Sarah remained in the same position for a minute or so. She was breathing heavily now, realizing that she had been holding her breath all that time. Her face was on fire and her expressions kept wavering between excitement and bewilderment. 

After she had partially come to grips with the situation that almost ensued, she looked around. She had no idea where she was.

She started wobbly walking in no particular direction, still phased intensely, and after a while found herself in a garden. Gorgeous flowers stood taller than her, draping down in a curtain of soft petals and green. A crystal lake traveled through a forest of stems as wide as tree trunks, waving and twisting through the brush. She looked around curiously, not knowing why there would even be a thing with such aesthetic beauty in the goblin city. The goblins, who she knew to abhor beauty and color in favor of grime, would never have put it there, and she couldn’t imagine Jareth wasting any time on such a feat. As she marveled at the surreal thrall of neon flowers and the prominent life that encased her, she came across a small grove. The foliage there was all normal size, which made their predecessors look even more like trees in comparison. She knelt down and gently took the stem of a large yellow flower with turquoise spiraling down into its center. She started to pull it out of its earthly home, but stopped, not wanting to remove even this one flower's splendor from the garden. She smiled and stroked it gently, but turned cautiously as a soft laugh rose behind her. She blushed.

“N-now what do you wa...?" She began. She looked at the man. It was him, Jareth, she knew it was, but something wasn't right. His hair was shorter and somehow whiter than normal, and his eyes looked tired and kind. He was leaning against a giant rose, a pinkish hue lighting his face. It made him seem kind. She became wary, noting that his very features oozed kindness, a feat the Jareth she knew could never accomplish. It wasn't in his nature. She looked at the man, and knew him, but didn't at the same time. 

"Who... are you?" She said cautiously. 

"I was worried you were going to pick that flower. But you didn't. I'm glad," he said with a smile. He walked to her in a very proper manner and held out a hand. She looked at him incredulously. She took a step back and shook her head.

"Who _are_ you?" She repeated. He lifted his hand higher.

"Don't be afraid. It's just a handshake." He smiled. She slowly outstretched her own hand into his, not knowing what to make of him- this Jareth not-Jareth. He gently brought her hand up to his mouth. He pressed his lips to her skin and held them there for an unusually long amount of time. Uncomfortably, she pulled her hand away.

  "That wasn't a handshake," she said, her brow furrowing.

"I am sorry, my dear. I simply could not control myself.” He bowed slightly, “It’s just, I cannot fathom how beautiful you’ve become. It truly has been too long.” He brought a hand up to touch her cheek and softly stroked it with the tips of his fingers. 

She slapped his hand away and said sternly, “Tell me who you are. You look like Jareth, but.. _._ _Who are you?_ ”

He sighed, “I _am_ Jareth, though not yours, as sad as that may be.”

“What do youmean?” 

“Sorry, my dear, but it’s a very long story and I truly don’t wish to bore you,” he laughed a boisterous laugh, loud and hardy.

“I’ve got time… I think,” she demanded. She could not let her guard down for him. Even though they had the same face, they weren’t the same person. Right now she wasn't with the Jareth she knew. This was a stranger. She needed to remember that. 

“Not enough, Sarah.” He smiled debonairly. She got chills. 

“Tell me.”

He sighed again, “Well, if you wish it, I suppose. Although, I’m not sure what good it will do." He looked up at her with kind eyes and smiled. "I'm afraid this is my fault. Well, not mine as much as my son's.”

“You have a son?” Sarah guffawed. 

“Yes,” he replied, a proud smile taking over his face. 

“Wow.” Sarah laughed slightly. “I'd never imagine _you_ to have a son!” She turned to the castle and whispered, “Although kings do need heirs, I suppose.” Sarah's mind began to drift back to her Jareth. “So, are you from the future then? You,” she blushed at the thought that was spinning in her mind, “you have... a queen?” 

Not Jareth went went on, picking up on her embarrassment. He smiled. “I’m afraid I was never lucky enough for you to give me a chance, love.”

“Alternate future!” she blurted out still blushing heavily. 

His eyes narrowed slightly, picking up on the meaning of that as well, “You mean to say that that classless ruffian has won you? This world certainly is different from my own.” He sighed at the grass, then brought up his eyes with a wink, “Though I do hope you are one to raise your standards.” Sarah blushed again. “And no. I am not from any sort of future. Simply another reality.” 

“One where you’ve got a son?”

“Yes! Exactly!” He grinned. “And Toby is the epitome of princely perfection!” Sarah's eyes shot to him in an instant. He continued boastfully, “He is loved by all and feared by all, the sign of a truly great king!” He looked at Sarah who looked back at him incredulously.

“Toby?” She said, “You named your son after Toby?”

Not Jareth's eyes grew wide and his mouth twitched, “Uh, no.” He rubbed a hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly. Sarah's eyes followed him with demanding eagerness. “Well- You see, Sarah,” he hesitated, “it's still Toby. _Toby_ Toby. I had attempted to avoid telling you, but it seems my pride has gotten away with me…” He sighed.

“ _My_ Toby?”

“Well, _my_ Toby. He opened a rift between my kingdom and this one. I fell through and here I am.”

Sarah's eyes darted around in thought, "So Toby uses magic in your world? How?”

Not Jareth laughed, “You’re not nearly as shocked as I would have expected. Though, you never have been one for shock. When I revealed myself to you all those years ago, I remember you didn't even flinch." 

"I was scared."

"But not surprised. I always admired that about you. You always had one hand in fantasy and the other in reality. Always open to the impossible."

"But _that_ wasn't _me_ , was it?” Sarah said, thinking of an alternate version of herself meeting with this alternate version of Jareth.

"No. She wasn't you. You, I'm assuming, were better."

“But wait. I still don't understand, though. How did Toby get involved with you?”

"Well, how does anyone get involved in anything?” 

“What?” She focused on him intently, waiting for him to tell her about Toby, her little brother trapped in his world.

“Actions lead to reactions and so forth. He is a-”

“Stop avoiding the question,” Sarah demanded. He looked to her, his eyes hardening. “Please, just tell me,” she commanded.

His mouth pressed shut and he sighed. “Of, course, my lady. You- _she_ chose herself and her dreams over the life of her family."

"What?" Sarah looked into his tired eyes, the mismatched irises pained and troubled. She understood. "You mean... your Sarah just left Toby in the labyrinth?"

"I'm afraid so. She never even stepped foot in this- well, _my_ world."

"How horrible! She gave up Toby for her own happiness? I could never even have considered that. I mean, that's kind of how it started, but I never meant it…" Her brow furrowed and she looked at him, noticing he was staring at her again. "What?" 

"It is, well," he smiled. "I heard stories of you here, of what you did to save Toby. How courageous and kind you were! I just can't believe that you actually do care about him! It lightens my heart! You are so much more than even I could have dreamed!" He pushed himself forward and twisted his strong arms around her. Sarah, startled, stumbled back and fell to the grassy floor, pulling the not Jareth with her. She pushed him forcefully, but he just held her tighter. "I've never stopped loving you." 

Her heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, an angry wind swam through the flower trees, spewing oversized petals in every direction. 

"But you've only just met her. Your Sarah is probably living semi-unhappily with a husband and three little brats who will no doubt grow up as selfish as she was."

_Jareth,_ Sarah thought. He had come for her. The other was distracted by his counterpart's introduction and gave Sarah just enough time to push away from him. Her Jareth spun her to his side and quickly put his arm around her shoulder. He grinned with triumph and swiftly met the sole of his boot to the distraught face of his staggered opponent, who still was stunned on the floor. 

"This girl is mine." He stepped forward and screamed, "Don't you ever touch her again!"

The other man pushed himself up and groaned. He winced as he felt his nose, gooey black blood trickling down from it. Jareth lunged for him, but Sarah gripped his arm tightly, pulling him to a stop. He looked to her and uttered a fury-filled grunt of compliance. 

The other man stood, droplets of blood dripping to the ground. He smiled again and bowed low. "Until next time, my dear." His eyes fluttered up, meeting Sarah's, latching onto her. "Goodbye, my love." He turned around and disappeared into the foliage, only a small dark stain in the grass and a soft trailing laugh to signify his presence. 

A deep guttural sound echoed through Jareth's throat as he grabbed Sarah's arm and stormed out of the garden, pulling her behind him. They arrived at a hallway, hard and stony. It seemed to reflect Jareth's mood perfectly. He looked down at his hand clutching hers and let go as if she were toxic. Sarah watched as he paced away from her and back again. He shook a hand in front of her face, his other plastered in a fist to his waist. 

"You left yourself open!" He screamed in a whisper, "You stupid girl!"

"Oh, calm down. Everything was alright."

He continued lividly, as if he didn't even hear her, "You never did have any brains did you? I am surprised you even made it past the front gate of the labyrinth with an absent mind like yours!"

“Hey! I had it under control!Believe it or not, I actually do know how to handle myself!"

"Was that what you would call handling yourself? Leaving yourself alone with a dangerous prisoner?"

"He was fine! _I_ was fine! What are you getting so worked up about?"

He growled and paced again. "You don't understand anything, do you? You insolent child! I can't always be there to protect you!" 

"Child? I have grown, _your highness!_ I'm not fifteen anymore! And I understand plenty. I don't always need you looking over my shoulder!"

"How would you know? You don't know this world! You don't know anything!"

"Maybe not, but I know enough about _you_ to know that the only reason you even care about any of that was because you have this trippy power complex and can’t stand me to even interact with anyone but you!” She screamed at him, all her years of pent up anger spilling out, “That’s why you took away my friends, my family, made everyone think I was crazy, and now you won’t let me even talk to that alternate version of you, who I think I’m actually starting to like better! I'm not yours to keep, Jareth!"

The silence in the room was deafening. He spoke again, his voice lowering to a grave whisper, " _You are. And I won't abide other people touching my belongings_." His face twisted into a spiral of anger and he waved a hand between them. 

In a second she was in a dusty room, barely any light to be seen. She recognized the hopeless aura that oozed off the walls and knew she was in an oubliette. She kicked at the ground she couldn't see. 

"Oh, great! Thank you Jareth! I am so glad that you can just wish people to the cornfield instead of FACING YOUR PROBLEMS! You JERK!” she screamed into the air. She sighed and plopped to the floor. She rubbed her forehead with her wrist and sighed again. Her eyes fell shut. "He's impossible... But, I guess I am too." She laughed sorrowfully, "What a pair we make." 

She looked around, her eyes beginning to adjust to the lack of light. She knew he wouldn't leave her down here for too long- at least she hoped. She sighed, understanding why you'd put someone down here to forget them. Trying to occupy herself with something other than darkness, she let her head swim with thoughts. Her mind stuck to one idea: _I wonder what the story is with that other world. Strange that that would happen. Gotta say, I didn't see it coming._ She laughed and daydreamed in her brain. _Curiouser and curiouser..._


	7. Fractured Past

"You're him aren't you? You're the Goblin King?"

The man smiled and gently laughed, answering her question with unspoken words.

"I want my brother back if it's all the same," she said, fear rising in her voice.

"What's said is said," his fluid voice replied.

"But I didn't mean it." 

"Oh, you didn't?"

"Please, where is he?" Her voice quivered.

"You know very well where he is."

"Please bring him back. Please," she pleaded. He looked at her and smiled.

"Sarah," he began, "Go back to your room. Play with your toys and your costumes. Forget about the baby." 

"I can't."

He smirked, his sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight. He materialized a shiny sphere in his hand and held it out to her. "I've brought you a gift."

"What is it?" 

"It's a crystal. Nothing more. But if you turn it this way and look into it, it can show you your dreams."

Her worried expression became overrun by curiosity.

He smiled and continued, "But this isn't a gift for an ordinary girl who takes care of a screaming baby. Do you want it?" He looked at her, seeing the wonder fill her eyes. She looked to him defiantly, trying to mask her obvious longing for the treasure. He smiled. "Then forget the baby."

She looked into the sphere. She saw herself. She saw her future. She saw her dreams realized. It was tempting. Her eyes wandered back into the eyes of the man then met the floor. She nodded.

"Are you sure, Sarah? This decision cannot be undone." He smiled. 

Sarah's eyes traveled around her room. The cogs in her head spun as she weighed the possibilities of her options. Jareth looked on, fixating on his Sarah in thought. Her eyes shot open, and her grin widened. 

"Wait!" She licked her lips. "I have an idea."

"Really?" He laughed, "Whatever would it be?"

"I'll make you a deal. I'll let you keep Toby forever for that crystal," she paused, " _and_ all the magic powers I want." She smiled mischievously. Jareth looked at her, fairly stunned at her request. He blinked a few times, then smiled. 

"But he's your brother. Your own flesh and blood," he said coyly.

"Only half blood. I hate him. He's ruined everything already. Just take him, I couldn't care less. Just give me magic." 

"If you wish it, my dear," he said with a villainous laugh.  She cupped her hands together as he dropped her dreams gingerly into her palms. He could see the goosebumps that layered her skin as soon as she had the sphere in her grasp. He laughed and waved a gloved hand. The orb burst in her grip. She blinked and looked around the room. Everything was silent. Every trace of her brother had disappeared along with the Goblin King. She looked at her hands as her fingers traced with power. He watched her, invisible, from the corner of her room. She looked up at a painting on the wall and let loose a fiery pulse at it with a flick of her wrist. Her eyes fell back to her hands and she began to laugh giddily as she spontaneously combusted random objects around the room. He left her there, young and empowered, wondering what he would do with the new child he now had in custody. 

He arrived back in the labyrinth. He appeared in the throne room where the infant was being taken care of by his most trusted goblin.

"So, is she coming?" The creature said gruffly. 

"No. She gave me this child in exchange for power over her world." Jareth knelt down and poked the baby on the forehead. Toby gurgled.

"You sure that's a good idea? I mean, if she's got what she wants, she don't need you again, right?"

"Possibly," Jareth sighed, "but making her laugh like that was worth enough. It will stave me for another hundred years or so." He looked up and and smiled, "She sounded so devious."

The goblin sighed. "You say that now, but what about tomorrow? What 'bout the next day? What 'bout when you start feelin' upset 'cause she don't wanna see ya? Hundred years? I'm telling ya, that won't last you a day."

Jareth looked at the goblin and stood up, solemnly. He could not believe that Sarah would abandon him. He looked at Toby, the power of his friend's words sinking in. "The decision has been made. It's over."

"Yeah, but-" 

"It's decided!" Jareth yelled, now feeling the pain of realization. He most likely never would see her again. He could only see her if she wished it and, now, since she had everything she could possibly want, she had no reason to call on him again. He knew that, in all likelihood, he had seen the last of her. He bent down and picked up Toby by his arms. The child sniffled. 

"I'm taking this child to an oubliette. Don't follow me." Jareth ordered.

"What're you gonna do with him?" The goblin took a worried step forward. Jareth glared.

"It's none of your concern."

"But, the child-"

"Never cross me, Hoggle. Never!" He aimed an angry hand at his companion. He stepped back and turned. "You're in charge of the castle until I return." Jareth left calmly, the baby squirming at his waist. He could hear Hoggle sigh as the massive castle doors shut behind him.

He walked swiftly, materializing himself within one of the many oubliettes that had been scattered throughout the labyrinth. It was dark and dusty and had a distinguishable air of hopelessness, which he particularly and proudly designed. He spun a finger, lighting the room, and plopped the baby onto the floor. Jareth dropped down next to him, tiny spirals of dirt flowing around the space. The child coughed and began to cry. 

"Oh, now, we'll have none of that." Jareth sighed and rested his arm on his knees. He stood and stated very nonchalantly, "Well, now that I have no use of you, it is no longer required for me to protect you. I was only doing it for _her_ anyway." He looked down as the baby laughed and grabbed his boot with pudgy fingers. Jareth shook him off, causing the infant to topple over and start bawling again. The Goblin King scoffed, "Is that your response to everything?" He bent down and picked up the baby. He pulled the child close to his face and stared into his eyes. Toby looked back intently and sucked on his hand. He started laughing and poked at Jareth's face with saliva ridden fingers. Jareth reeled back in disgust and quickly rubbed his face on his sleeve.

"Lively little chap." A small laugh escaped his lips. "I think I'll call you Jareth." He bounced the baby in his arms and smiled. Toby gurgled a laugh. "You're lucky you are so charming, child. And even luckier that I am such a merciful king." 

He took a step forward and magically appeared back in his suite. It was cluttered with kingly possessions and quite a few pictures of Sarah. He stood at a lone blank wall and danced a hand in front of it. A rounded metal door, alive with spikes and broken glass, dissolved into the absence. It popped out of the wall. A small crystal doorknob formed in it's center and Jareth took hold of it, sliding the door open. 

The room was, needless to say, amazing, Jareth designing it to perfection. Paradise for a child. He placed Toby on the carpeted floor and the child laughed. Jareth smiled as he saw the same wonder filling Toby's eyes that had filled his sister’s, and realized that that was what he needed. 

"You will grow, young one. And you will be my heir. You will become powerful at my hand. I can see, you will do great things.”

 

Years passed, Jareth learning the terrifying occupation of parenthood more and more as every day went by. In a flash, Toby was five. He was talking, playing, accidentally imploding goblins- activities befitting children. Then he was eight, which happened just as quickly, discovering Jareth's weak spots and hidden ways to play his emotional side. All of a sudden, before Jareth could blink, Toby was eleven. They were in a garden Jareth had made, catering to Toby's enjoyment of flowers. They were sitting in the grass, the leathers of their clothes tangling up in the soft blades. Jareth handed Toby a small pebble.

"This is a Mage Heart," he explained. Toby curled his fingers around it and looked at Jareth, confused.

"But it's just a rock. I don't feel any magic in it."

"It may seem like a simple rock, but it holds deep power. Hidden power." Jareth materialized another pebble into his own hand and levitated it with his finger. "See?" he said, just as the stone split in two, sparkling blue crystal shimmering inside it. A soft fog seeped around the rock, enveloping it with dancing lights and lilac mists. The sun's light flickered, neon air spilling out of the crystal. Toby's eyes sparkled. 

"Wow!" he said, poking the rock in his own hand. "Can you teach me?"

"Of course." Jareth smiled and positioned Toby's hand, balancing the stone on the tips of his fingers. "Now," Jareth continued, "just command it to open."

Toby's face twisted red in concentration as his eyes fixated on the stone. It began to shake, but fell to the floor, Toby's intensity causing a slight tremor in his hand. His arms fell to the ground, the boy helplessly defeated. "I can’t do it."

Jareth stood up, and spoke demeaningly, "As the future king, you need to learn how to control your surroundings. You will have ultimate rule over this world. All you need to do is command the stone to do your will." Toby glared as Jareth repositioned his hand, placing the stone on top. "Just breathe," he continued softly, "and concentrate."

Toby nodded and looked at the pebble. Jareth could see him trying, willing the stone up. Toby's eyes gleamed as the rock began to rise shakily. It split in half, magic pouring out of its core. Toby beamed. Jareth smiled.

"Now you can do anything. Once you have control you can never lose it."

"Really?" Toby's eyes widened. Jareth nodded. The boy grinned, "What are you going to teach me next, father?”

Jareth laughed, “Nothing more today. Go back to the castle. I will meet you there, soon, alright? Maybe you can practice your dissolution.”

“Really?” Toby’s grin widened. “Okay, okay!” He clenched his fists and his eyes squeezed shut.

“Remember the rules Toby. Focus on where you want to go.”

“And keep my emotions in check. Yeah, yeah, I know. I almost have i-” he was interrupted by the lack of his being, Toby transporting himself back to the castle. Jareth smiled. _I have taught him well._ The pride of his son was evident, but soon his expression sunk into worry as a strong pain crouched over his neck. His brow furrowed as he materialized himself at the front gate of the labyrinth, where Hoggle stood guard. A fearful expression took his face.

“Did you feel it again?” the goblin asked, worry in his voice.

“Yes. It’s getting stronger. It must be her.”

“Can ya’ see her yet?”

“No, I have tried every spell I could think of to bypass her cloaking charm, but it seems clear that she has purposefully cut my connection to her, yet not the other way around.”

“So she can still get over here?” Hoggle sighed with worry, “Whatever she’s planning has gotta be big.”

“Yes, I agree. And it’s getting closer. I know I can defeat her, but she would be much too dangerous for Toby. I honestly cannot comprehend what she would do if she found him.”

“You think she’d hurt him?”

“I believe she’ll try. Even the last time I saw her, she was already completely deranged, and that was three earth years ago. She had a strange way of remembering the way things were. I know she’d come after him.”

“Think that’s why she’s trying to break into our world? To get Toby?”

“There is no doubt in my mind. She would probably end up trying to take over this realm too, but I would never allow that to happen. Until then, we must all watch over Toby, but he is not to know. There would be no use in frightening him.”

“I understand.”

Jareth appeared back in the castle, in Toby’s extravagant room. He looked around, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. His brow knotted. He lifted a finger to his mouth and pressed it to his lips. “Find Toby,” he chanted. His fingertip began to glow a light green. _The place you reside, your son’s gone to hide._ Jareth’s eyes shot open and he transported to his room, where Toby was sitting on the stoney floor. He had a small piece of paper in hand.

“Who is this father? You have a lot of pictures of her.”

“Toby, how many times have I told you to never come in this room?” Jareth yelled. He grabbed the photo from the hands of the boy. “You are not to come in here!”

“I know, I just… Is she the girl you were talking about with Hoggle?”

Jareth froze. 

“I was practicing my dissolution and accidentally thought about you and heard you talking. You said she would hurt me. Tell me who she is. I won’t be afraid.”

Jareth sighed, angry at himself for being so careless. “She’s a villain. That’s all you need to know.”

“If she’s a villain why do you have so many pictures of her?” Toby grabbed another photo from a large collection at his side. He examined it intently.

“I was in love with her, once.” Jareth slid against the wall, dropping to the floor. The photograph drifted between his fingers. “She asked me to do something and I did it. Now, I fear, she’s coming to get revenge,” he looked at Toby, whose face was dripping with concern. “Or some such nonsense,” Jareth concluded as nonchalantly as possible in and effort to stave his son’s fears.

“Is she my mother?” The child looked back to the picture and gingerly stroked the side. 

“No.” Jareth finished. He stood and picked up the boy, Toby folding his arms around his neck. Jareth began walking back to Toby’s room. 

“What did she ask you to do?” Toby yawned, the picture still in his hand. 

“Something deplorable. Something I shouldn’t have agreed to. Something I’ll have to tell you another day.” He smiled as he arrived at the door across the hall. He opened it and carried Toby to his bed. He laid him down and pulled a feathery quilt across him, the child instantly asleep. Jareth moved out of the room silently. He began to pull the door shut, but looked back at the sleeping child, peaceful, calm. 

He spoke quietly and sternly, a warning to everyone else and a promise to himself, “I will never let anyone harm you, Toby. Not ever.” He shut the door, leaving Toby to his dreams, hoping that he was powerful enough to keep the only thing he truly valued safe.


	8. The Wrong One

Sarah awoke in her bed, draped in blankets and encased in pillows. She sat up and laughed. _I knew he wouldn't just leave me in that awful oubliette._ She pulled her legs over the massive mattress and strode to her door. She took the doorknob and turned it. Her eyes sunk into her brow and she gasped, confusion waving over her. She turned it again. Nothing. _Locked_.            

She frowned in anger. She brought a hand up and banged harshly on the wood. 

“Jareth? Jareth, let me out!” she screamed into the crack of the doorframe. She heard a shuffling outside. “Hello, I hear you out there! Open this door!”

A whimpering sound was heard, “Uh- I’d like to m-miss, but- uh- King J-j-jareth said for me n-not to. S-s-sorry.”

Sarah’s ear pressed to the door. “Did he say why?” she said sweetly, attempting to subdue this goblin with faux tenderness.

“N-no. Not that I remember. S-sorry, miss.” 

“Do you have the key?”

“Y-yeah, I d-d-do, but I can’t-”

“Aw, please? I promise I won’t tell anyone. Just let me out.”

“No. R-really, miss, I can’t. The k-king would h-hurt me for sure!”      

She pounded the door hard, that tactic failing. The goblin guard yelled in surprise. “Listen here, bub, I have some words for the Goblin King, and I can’t do anything about it if I’m stuck in here! So let me out, because, so help me, I can be loads worse than Jareth!” She listened closely to the door, hearing a jingling sound getting progressively further away, along with rushed footsteps and screaming. She rolled her eyes. Obviously she was a bit much. She slammed her fist on the door and grunted, sinking to the floor, utterly trapped. She perked up as she heard the jingling returning. She shot up onto her knees and pressed her ear against the wood. She felt something leaning on the other side of the door.  

“A pretty bird in a gilded cage, I believe that’s how that human saying goes?”

Sarah fumed, “Let me out of here, Jareth.”

“Not until you swear to me that you will never see, talk, or even think about that prisoner that you met yesterday.” 

“No.”

“No?” Jareth replied, dumbfounded at the concept of such deliberate backtalk.

“No. He was nice. And from what I saw, he deserves better than being a prisoner.”

“He could’ve hurt you.”

“But he didn’t. Are we really going to fight about this again?”

“There is no fight. I’m right. The only conflict here is your reluctance to accept that fact.”

“Have you ever considered the possibility that you might be wrong sometimes?”

An eerie silence stood between them, pushing through the door.

"Listen, Jareth," Sarah sighed, "I understand that you were worried, but he's _you._ He _was_ you. I don't think it's possible for me not to think about him. What can I say?" She fell back on the door, her head leaning on the wood. "I always seem to end up thinking about you. I can't really help it."

Silence. Her eyes dropped shut and she listened to his breathing. He was still there but he did not respond. She bit her lip. 

"I'm sorry, too, for before," she continued, "What I said, I didn't mean it. But still, I have a feeling that there's more to Not Jareth, and if I'm going to stay here, you're going to have to trust that I know what I'm doing."

After a few more moments of silence, Jareth spoke. "Fine," he said slowly. "Do what you want." The lock clicked open. 

Sarah jumped up and opened the door, but Jareth was nowhere to be seen. She sighed, wondering if he _was_ actually right. She did let her guard down around him, any version of him. Could the other one really be dangerous? Sarah shook her head. _I don't think so. He seemed better than that._ So she started walking. 

She tried to retrace her steps to the garden, but couldn't remember the way there. Her mouth twisted in thought and she rubbed a hand behind her head. She looked around, somewhat lost again. She sighed. 

"How can I find him?" She pouted.

"I think I can help you with that."

She turned. "Not Jareth?" His hair was short and his eyes were tired. It was him. "How did you get out? Wasn't that garden your prison?"

"When you entered, you broke the seal that kept me trapped. It seems that the only weakness to Jareth's magic is you, unsurprisingly."

"Really?" She blushed. He smiled.

"You are also mine, but I'm sure you've guessed that."

"Not me. Your Sarah, right?"

"No. _You_." He smirked, taking a large stride toward her. She stepped back. He smiled kindly. "So, my dear, what can I do for you?"

"Well," she began, eyeing him cautiously, "I was hoping you could tell me more about your world? About Toby and everything? You didn't really get to explain last time."

"Yes," he hesitated. "Well, as I said, I was teaching him a spell and it went awry. That created the rift. There's nothing more to it.”

“That's all? Huh." Sarah shrugged. She felt like there was definitely more to the story, but knew that he had to tell her in his own time. Besides, if there was one thing she knew how to do, it was how to handle Jareth. She went on, "So, then are you stuck here? Can you open another rift back to your world?”

“No, actually. This realm’s… Well, let’s just say that under the circumstances, I am powerless. Still, Toby was already exceedingly talented— his magical prowess only rivaled mine. I think that’s why he was even able to create a breach in the first place.”

"So, do you think my Toby could use magic? If he wanted to?"

"I don't believe so. There are," he paused, "differences between my world and yours."

"Like what?"

"Besides the fact that you left Toby with me? Well, not much really. I do know that Hoggle is not my advisor here. And Jareth and my personalities are painfully different. But the biggest changes I've seen actually came to pass solely because of Sarah's decision to give up her brother."   

“What do you mean?” Sarah took a step toward him. 

“Well, In exchange for Toby, she wanted power. Total power. So I gave it to her.”

“Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Sarah gasped. Why?” Her brow knotted, not understanding how he could give so much power away so easily. “Why would you grant her that wish?” 

“Because I love her.” He smiled and nodded his head. "She was my weakness, remember. I could not refuse her."

Sarah breathed heavily. Her fists clenched. "You should have." She brought her head up and screamed, "You never should have let her give up Toby!" Tears began streaming from her eyes. She didn't fully understand why she was this upset, she just knew that her entire life would have been monumentally different without Toby. She loved her brother more than life and hated that any version of herself would willingly give him up without a fight. She sniffled, "He belonged with me." 

Not Jareth took a step forward and stroked her cheek with his thumb, a trail of tears dragging across her face. She flinched and looked up into the mismatched eyes she had come to know so well. He spoke softly, setting her at ease, "I am sorry, Sarah. Though I hope you can find solace in the fact that I took care of him as my own son. Even though she never came for him, he did have a home and caring family. He grew up strong and bright and kind. He is a wonderful boy.” He smiled. “I made sure he was never alone.” 

"Thank you, Jareth," she sobbed. She rubbed her face with her hand, doing nothing to impede the steady flow of tears trailing down her cheeks. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She let him.

“Sarah.” He stepped back and raised her face, gently lifting her chin up by his thumb.  His face neared hers. "I will always love you." 

Her eyes pressed shut, beads of salty water dripping down her chin. He leaned down and cupped her face in his hands. His lips pressed lightly against hers. He kissed her. She let him. Her head tilted to his. He was so soft, so kind. 

Her eyes shot open. But he was not _her_ Jareth. “I can’t!” She shoved away and looked up. Not Jareth faltered and looked intently at the floor.

“I’m sorry. I know I’m not… Dear Sarah.” He gulped and turned, flying down the corridor. Sarah held the tips of her fingers incredulously to her lips and watched him leave before looking frantically around the room. She shook, remembering her Jareth's torment and his unwavering feelings for her. 

Full of unexplainable emotions, she collapsed on the floor, still sobbing— for Toby, for herself, and for Jareth.


	9. Cracked

She stood, wiping her face of the excess of tears. She sped out of the room, hundreds of thoughts swarming her mind. Her head was cluttered and her heart was full. Nothing felt real. It all seemed like a horrible dream that was slowly evolving into a nightmare. _I have to wake up..._ She gulped in her tears and began to run to her room, knowing full well that nothing would awaken her from this feeling. She had betrayed him. She had chosen to. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that Jareth hadn’t seen her; that by some miracle he was pouting in his own room with his own painful thoughts and agonizing feelings, but not at all focusing on her. She cupped her face with her hands and allowed a final tear to fall. Then she took a deep breath, continuing slowly, and very inconspicuously. 

She arrived at her room, and opened the door. She briefly remembered their fight this morning. _He really didn’t want me to see him_. She sighed. _I guess I can see why, now_. She stepped past the door and softly pushed it shut. Her head fell on the cool wood, a tormenting guilt rising inside her.

She turned, planning to jump in bed and sleep the pain away, but stopped in her tracks. A form stood at the diamond window, looking out to the horizon, a shimmering sphere rolling in his hand. Sarah froze. He remained silent for a long time, transforming the room into an eerie place. Sarah’s mouth formed, beginning to speak, but was cut off by Jareth’s soft, melancholy monotone.   

“I ordered an execution today,” he said, “A cook was caught stealing from the palace. He said it was for his family or some such nonsense. I wasn’t paying close attention. He did it when he thought he was alone. He thought I couldn’t see him. What a fool.” He paused and dropped his eyes to the orb. Sarah did not respond. She stumbled closer to him, shaking with an unstoppable fear. _He knows_ , she thought. He continued, “When the guards took him he started screaming. Do you know what he said?” He turned to Sarah with a pitiable look on his face. Her eyes glossed with tears and she looked to the floor. She shook her head. 

“He said, ‘Don’t you have any feelings? Don’t you have a heart?’ He spoke a few more unsavory comments, as well, but I won’t bother you with those.” A tortured laugh escaped his lips.

Tears began to fall down Sarah’s face, “Jareth-” she began. 

“No!” He held up a hand to silence her. “No, you are in no position to speak! Because I realized something then: I do not have a heart,” He paused again and looked at her with sorrow-filled eyes. “Because you stole it from me long ago. It has always been yours.” He stepped forward and reached a hand to touch her face, but stopped abruptly, curling his fingers back and dropping his arm at his side. He turned from her. “Do you know how long I had waited for you? Then you called me. You asked me to take you out of your dull little world and I did. I did it for you. I do everything for you! Why can you never understand that?”

"I- Jareth..."

"I do everything for you! No more. I wanted you here. I wanted you by my side. You were to be my queen, but if you cannot be unequivocally mine, then I shall send you back.”

“Jareth, please. Listen,” her voice warbled.

“What? Are you going to hate me? Are you going to deny me- defy me again? All you cause is pain, my dear. Pain I do not want or need. I tried to give you your freedom here. I tried to express myself to you, but you always turned away. Then you and that _prisoner_ -” His eyes turned to her, livid. He stepped toward her. “ _All you cause is pain_ ,” he said quietly.

“Jareth," she took a deep breath, waiting for him to cut her off again. He didn't. She continued in a sob, "My whole life, I've been fixated on the Labyrinth. You– this place– was my standard, my dream. This world was my sanctuary. Most of the time I was so busy dreaming about you and everything that my world just passed me by. And I didn't even notice. I didn't even care! I had wrapped myself up in my memories, because you know what? I have nothing else!" Hot tears burned down her face. "You were all I had. And you had everything I wanted." 

He scoffed and dug at her with unforgiving eyes. "So you never wanted _me_? You just want, what? My castle? My kingdom?" His teeth bared as his arms raised. "This whole world?"

"No! That's not-"

"Fine then. Have it. It's yours. I'm tired and bored of this game. I no longer wish for you." His brow furrowed and he grunted. He pushed past her and neared the door. Sarah's raw eyes followed him eagerly. She could not lose him.

"Jareth!" She screamed. He slowed. She saw him take a deep breath and she exhaled, exasperated. He looked back at her, his features evolving into expressions that Sarah could not decipher. They stood, only breathing. An eternity seemed to pass. She felt the intense anger in the air dissolve, replaced by a feeling somehow heavier. She blinked, her eyes sore and looked at the man standing across from her. She stepped toward him. He turned away. A twinge of pain stabbed at her heart. _She would not lose him._

"Jareth. He was you. And that is no excuse, because he isn't you. I know that. And I know there is nothing I can do to take it back. But you have to know," she sighed and pressed a hand to the cool leather on his shoulder. Her voice wavered, "I am so sorry, Jareth." His head turned back slightly to see her as she clutched his arm. Her head dropped down and the tears returned. "I know it doesn't help you, but even if you leave– even if you hate me, please, _please_ know," she gulped her words, "I'm sorry." Her hand slid down to her waist, dangling without a purpose. She took a deep breath and leaned forward steadily. She expected him to turn, or leave, or push her away, but he didn't. She slid her eyes shut and swept her lips gently across the back corner of his cheek. She dropped back on her heels and opened her eyes. He was gone, only the small sphere glittering where he had stood. She sighed heavily and picked it up, clutching it tightly, her well of tears run dry. She turned it in her hand. "Good night, Jareth." A small shard of glass poked at her skin and her eyes fell to the crystal. Her brow rose and she peered at it confusedly. It was cracked.


	10. A Dark Crystal

Sarah awoke the next morning after a rather tumultuous night of sleep. The day before seemed almost like a dream. _More like a nightmare,_ she thought. She let out a loud sigh, some of her disconcerting emotions escaping through her breath. Her mind traveled back to Jareth. She sighed again and sat up, pulling herself off her bed. She licked her lips. The whole room still had a threatening aura, but it was notably less than the night before. She stood, her feet dropping to the floor, the cold morning stone nipping at her toes. She sleepily stumbled to her door and gripped the handle. She stood looking at it for a while, again remembering Jareth and her fight the morning last. She took a deep breath and turned it, the brass twisting easily. The door pushed open unhindered, and her eyes followed it halfheartedly. _He really is angry_ , she thought, bringing a hand to her cheek. 

Her eyes widened as she remembered the sphere. She spun back to her bed and found it drowning in the feathery down of her quilts. She grabbed it tenderly. Her fingers wrapped around its round edges. She stared into it, a twisted, underwater version of herself peering back, half of her reflection jagged and strained through the crack. She moved it around in her palm, attempting to recreate the fluid motion that Jareth was so skilled at achieving. It gravitated slightly to her fingers and back to the ball of her hand very unimpressively. She tried again. It wobbled in her palm. _He makes it look so easy._ She glared at it. Her hand rose nearer to her face as she eyed the crack in the crystal. _Maybe you're just broken._ She stroked it gently with the tips of her nails, feeling a small surge of energy zip through her. She smiled at it. 

Suddenly the crystal rose out of her hands and started glowing brightly. It had a halo of white surrounding it. The surrounding room became dull and monochromatic, the bulb absorbing all the colors and life of the world around her. Its glass-like surface thinned and wobbled, transforming quickly into a shimmering bubble. The crack remained, light beaming out of it jaggedly. Her eyes squinted with intense curiosity. She slowly inched her fingers toward the orb- toward the rupture in its frame. It's glow broadened, the entire room engulfed in its light. She heard a door crash open just as her fingers touched the sphere. She turned to the sound, her eyes growing wide as she heard a frantic voice accompany it.

"Sarah! Stop! You-" Jareth's voice. 

Then silence. Then darkness.


	11. New Perspectives

"Jareth. He was you. And that is no excuse because he isn't you. I know that. And I know there is nothing I can do to take it back. But you have to know, I am so sorry, Jareth.” Her voice was muffled in her sob. He turned his head to look upon her. He had grown tired of his endless attempts to please her. She raised a delicate hand and placed it gently to his shoulder. He twitched.    

"I know it doesn't help you,” she continued, “but even if you leave– even if you hate me, please, _please_ know I’m sorry." Her arm dropped from its place on his. It had steadied him. He felt slightly unbalanced without her, but still he would not be swayed. Not now. Not after such blatant humiliation. He noticed her leaning forward out of the corner of his eye. His mouth formed a tight sneer as he saw her close her eyes, while her lips met softly with the skin of his cheek. _She does not deserve the grace of a king. She is simply more trouble than she is worth_. He dissolved into the air, leaving one of his crystals shimmering on the floor at her feet. 

He reappeared in a large room with many tables and chairs. This hall could fit thousands, and commonly  did. As of now, however, only Jareth occupied it. Although there were _two_ bodies. He fumed as his doppelgänger reclined in a seat below him. 

“Isn’t it odd that I can always feel your presence?” Not Jareth laughed and stood from where he had been waiting. He shuffled a hand through his short, white hair. “Have you come to beat me again?” He smiled a combative grin.

“No,” Jareth lips formed the same smirk, his teeth pointing sinisterly. “I have come to dictate your punishment.” His voice was low and stern.

“Punishment? What reason do you have to punish me?” Not Jareth grinned again. He looked his counterpart over, circling him with malice in his eyes. He nodded in understanding. “I see. You saw me kiss Sarah. So then, are you planning on killing me? Or sending me to be eaten by the Xylodor? Please. Do be creative.”

“No,” Jareth stated nonchalantly, “I am allowing you to live. I’m sure you shall have a long life.” He paused and looked upon the face of his prisoner. It bunched in confusion and gave him slight joy. He smiled debonairly. “You see, Jareth, what I have planned for you is an eternity of suffering. I have devised a rather clever plan. I am brilliant, you know.”

“Quite. We are practically brothers after all.” Not Jareth smiled cockily, “But I am sure that you are aware that you and I share the same- and only- weakness. There is nothing you can do to me that will cause any ounce of suffering, because Sarah is all I care about and _you_ would place harm upon her just as soon as _I_ would. That is to say, never.”

“True. You are right, of course. I could never harm her. Even with this unprecedented rage, I still could not find it within myself to hurt her. So instead, I simply decided to punish her as well.” Jareth sat down on a bench and lifted his legs onto the table. He laughed thunderously. An expression of worry filled the other’s face. 

“What have you done to her?” 

“Nothing. I just left her a present.” He smiled and sang, “ _I made a portal back to your world_.” Not Jareth gasped in disbelief, at a clear loss for words. Jareth continued boisterously, "I am simply more powerful than you, I suppose. Curious as to how I achieved what you spent _years_ trying to figure out? Well, dear _brother_ , I shall explain for your rather limited understanding. Although, you look like you couldn't even form a coherent thought right now." He laughed. “Well, I took one of my crystals and infused it with fairy blood–”

“No!" Not Jareth screamed, "No, You incompetent fool! You have just ensured her execution!” He began to run out of the room, planning on warning Sarah, hoping there was still time. Jareth’s grin sunk quickly into a grimace. He snapped his fingers and the world shimmered for a moment. Suddenly they both were at the gate to the Labyrinth. Not Jareth shook in confusion as the other began to speak in a low, disciplinary voice. 

“Are you still without your magic, _Jareth_?”

“You should know, you snake! You’re the one that took it!”

“Just making sure. I prefer you at a disadvantage,” Jareth cooed out his words in a voice nearing joy. “Oh, you didn’t tell Sarah, did you?”

“I’ll be sure to put it on the list!” He spat out his retort.

“Oh, old man, there’s no need to be rude,” Jareth spoke with a faux pout. 

“You are mad!” Not Jareth screamed, wishing that the maximum volume of his voice was able to reflect his voluminous anger in the slightest, “She’s going to die!”

“Then I suppose you just have to make it through my Labyrinth and save her before she does anything stupid. It seems she is talented at doing things with limited brain power.” Jareth smiled curtly. Not Jareth clenched his fists and flared his nostrils, knowing himself to be veritably helpless. Without his magic there was nothing he could do to defeat Jareth– nothing except play his game. His trembling fingers darted through his hair as he shook his head of the overwhelming desire to be rebellious. Cursing under his breath, he flew to the wall, searching franticly for the opening. 

“You have thirteen hours in which to solve the labyrinth, or Sarah will be lost,” Jareth laughed at the irony. However, a small thought ate away at the back of his mind, _Forever_... He grimaced and pushed it away, looking back to his frenzied prisoner. Not Jareth sped along the stone, still looking for the door. He slammed a fist against the wall and grunted. 

He turned to Jareth and called out, tension rising in his voice, “I know how this works. You can control it. Whether I make it– whether I even find the _door_ or not is entirely up to you,” he scoffed and looked the king up and down in disgust. “Hardly clever. It’s not even sporting,” he spit out his words.

“This is _punishment_. What’s better than knowing that you could have saved her, had you just had your magic?” His voiced moved like a song. It was clear he was enjoying this.   

“She is going to _die_ , you fool! Do you not understand? _Actually_ _die_! She will be _gone_!” The veins on his neck threatened to burst in the stress of ever-boiling fury.

“Then she should’t have defied me!”

Not Jareth scoffed, sickened, and cursed at the ground, “She is in love with you! You stupid, blind, insufferable creature!” He wiped his clammy forehead as Jareth reeled back confused. The other returned to the wall and with a quick jolt to one of the bricks, found the release of the door. He slid it open and gasped, looking up questioningly at the dissonant man who seemed to be looking intently at nothing. He nodded, knowing that the great King was now much more focused on this new information then on keeping the Labyrinth unbreakable. Not Jareth scoffed one last statement, “You do not deserve such a radiant treasure’s adoration. I swear to it, I will _never_ lose her to _you_.” He began to run as a strong force– maybe love, maybe destiny, maybe the sheer need to protect Sarah– pulled him down his path.

Outside the Labyrinth, Jareth’s brow knotted and his teeth clenched, the man still clearly taken aback. A cool night breeze fluttered through him, small puffs of dirt drifting through the air. His skin bubbled with goosebumps, partly from the cold and partly from the tickling feeling in his chest. 

"In love," he whispered in a mix of disbelief and wonder. "With me…?” He was frozen for a long moment, silently repeating those words in his head. _With me…_ The world suddenly wobbled as his mind drowned in nothing but thoughts of Sarah, absentmindedly finding himself back in her room. Returning here had not been planned, but somehow he found that he did not have the strength to leave. He walked silently to her bed, where she was sleeping soundly. He leaned down and twisted her dark hair in his fingers, still shaking from the revelation that she might actually love him. Her head turned, agitated, and his hand fell away. He slowly pulled himself on to the edge of her bed and stroked her cheek. His brow knotted. All he ever wanted was for her to love him, for this beautiful creature full of life and wonder to be his alone. He had always dreamed that Sarah Williams would be the one to see past all the parts of himself he hated, hoping that one day she would find the man behind the monster he had always been sure he was. He knew what kind of a person he had been, how much of his _father’s_ mannerisms he had inherited. _Look at what you’ve done, you jealous wretch. It’s exactly what_ he _would do._ He sighed deeply. As much as he needed her, he was always unsure of her feelings for him. Having her by his side was enough, he would tell himself. Now he was not so sure. He wanted her to feel the way he felt. He wanted to know she truly loved him back. 

Her cheek softly nudged against his hand. His eyes brightened. “Forgive me Sarah, but you have to understand. I cannot release him from his penance, but I can free you from yours.” With a slight smile, he leaned down to her face and pressed his lips softly to her forehead. A small blue light glowed softly above her brow for a moment, then faded into her skin, shining in the moonlight.  

“There. I will protect you. You have nothing to fear of what’s to come,” he whispered. Lowering his head slightly, his eyes drank her in, mesmerizing every aspect of her features. She _was_ radiant, he would never deny that. Nodding, Jareth vowed to always be there for her. Her mouth formed a small smile. A light laugh hummed through his lips. She would do fine. She would _be_ fine.               

He appeared back in the labyrinth and cleared his throat, Not Jareth stumbling around chaotically in the dark. Jareth walked behind him calmly. 

"Explain how she feels about me."

“What?” Not Jareth halted his task for a  moment to shoot the other a flabbergasted look. “No! Just be quiet and let me figure this out!"

"You will never escape without my help. You know that.”

Not Jareth rustled his hands through his hair, making his already unkempt, frantic appearance even more so. "Fine," he said, "I'll tell you whatever you want to know if you can get me to the castle. Besides, I have no reason to hide anything. Especially not at Sarah’s expense.”

"So quick to sell yourself out. I can see why she likes _me_ better." His teeth gleamed sharply and his eyes glistened. 

Not Jareth stepped forward, a look of detestation on his face. "As long as I can save her from that world, I don't care what I must do."

“Alright, _brother_ , glad to see we're in agreement." Jareth smiled hauntingly. “So,” he paused, “what _exactly_ did she say to you?"

"Nothing," he gulped down his exasperation, “She simply said 'I can't' after I kissed her. And _I_ _did_ kiss her,” Not Jareth growled, half intending the statement as a painful reminder and as a plea to the man who held both him and the woman he loved hostage. “It was _entirely_ me,” he clarified, “I could not control my impulse. _I_ took advantage of a moment of weakness, so blame _me_ for that! Not her.” He paused, dropping his eyes to the ground, “Then she pushed away from me. I’m sure the only reason she did so was because of… _you_. Because she wanted it to be you.” His brow hung sadly over his eyes, as he shook his head. Jareth nodded. "Now help me!" Not Jareth demanded. The other smiled villainously and nodded. 

“Of course.” He waved his hand, and the both of them returned to a familiar hall in the castle. Not Jareth gasped, stupefied at the fact that the perpetually difficult and ruthless King would actually follow through on their deal. Immediately, he took off at a run down the corridors that he knew so well, routing himself to the room in which he knew Sarah resided. Suddenly, a dreadful sight drew his eyes to a window in the center of the wall. He gasped in tremulous worry. _Daylight_. 

Jareth laughed. "It seems that the day has gotten away from us." He smiled. “Mere seconds, _brother_." Not Jareth sped up and screamed a call of determination. He would not lose her. He neared her room and lunged for the door, which had streaks of blinding light bleeding through its frame. _I can’t be too late!_ He pushed it open with all his strength, the wood crashing into the wall with a splintering slam. The light overwhelmed him.

"Sarah! Stop!" he screamed, trying to catch sight of her through the blinding white. He fell to his knees, "You will die if he finds you!" The starry light collapsed into itself in a moment and was gone, absorbing his only love in its destruction. He screamed through falling tears, "You will die!" His body fell to the floor, shaking in despair and numb in disbelief. He violently slammed his fists down onto the stone. _I can’t have lost her!_

"I see you were too late. That’s a shame, isn’t it?”

Not Jareth stood and turned. Jareth was standing in the doorway, leaning into it carelessly, eyes wide in fake surprise. The other growled and lunged at him, swinging a bleeding fist fiercely toward his face. With a smile the true Goblin King vanished himself away, causing Not Jareth to lose his footing and collapse on the floor in a mound of unbalanced rage. He tightly gripped his head with his hands and wept, something he had sworn never to do again, just as Jareth’s menacing voice began to echo around him. 

"This is your penance for challenging me. Pray you never cross me again." The words receded from the hall, leaving only the muffled cries of a once great king to fill the silence. _I can’t have lost her again…_


	12. Another World

It was so dark. She was drowning in the endless emptiness. All she could see was the crystal, floating in the void, glistening in an absent light. Her eyes sped around the vast, empty space, noticing the pitch-black become progressively lighter. In no time it had faded away completely, revealing her to be in a stone room. Her eyes darted around the space, a sense of familiarity waving over her. She brushed off the feeling.

“The crystal must have just taken me to another room in the castle,” she said quietly, “No reason to worry.” But her attempt to convince herself that nothing was wrong failed quite quickly as the orb began to shake intensely, hovering in the center of the chamber. It fell to the floor in a sudden release of magic energy. It gently rolled to her feet and she picked it up, spinning it in her hands. The crack had vanished. _That’s not good._ Her brow knotted in worry. The feeling only worsened when she heard a bird singing outside. She turned around, a great knot forming in her stomach, as she saw the large diamond shaped window on the far wall. Her head tilted and she stumbled to it. Through terrified eyes she saw the world she had come to know so well; what should have been a familiar sight from the window in her bedroom. Although, it wasn’t her room and it wasn’t her world.

“Oh no,” she breathed, panic spreading throughout her body like a plague. She shakily looked out to the goblin city. It was stunning, lovely, conventionally beautiful. The buildings far below looked English, bricked and tiled to perfection, with red and chestnut tile roofs that made it seem more like Europe than the mystical world Sarah knew. The sky was blue and crystal, flocks of birds swimming through the air in poised, perfect formations. Past the wall of the labyrinth, flowers grew large and beautiful, bright colors dotted through the green of seemingly eternal grass. This was _not_ her world.  

She pushed away from the window, shaking her head in disbelief. She spun around and flew to the door, grabbing its handle with shaky hands. _Calm down Sarah…_ Her eyes fell shut as she took a deep breath and spoke calmly to herself, “Alright, this doesn’t seem all that bad. Just find Jareth and-” Her eyes shot open. _Goblins hate beauty… and Jareth has never cared one way or the other. Unless he’s not here. What if…_ Sarah turned back to the window, understanding what the crack in the crystal had done. _A rift, he said. A crack between realities._ “This is _his_ world…” Sarah’s jaw dropped. Her eyes flickered around the room,“I have to find Toby.”

She quickly opened the door and poked her head out, slinking out into the hallway. _Maybe not,_ she thought to herself cautiously, remembering Not Jareth’s story. _This Toby thinks I abandoned him. But he’s the only one who can get me home- granted this is actually that parallel world. What else did Not Jareth say?_ Sarah replayed what he told her in her mind as she crept down the hall, keeping wary eyes open. _She chose herself and her dreams over the life of her family._ She sighed. Her feet moved on autopilot to the throne room, questioning the judgement of her brain. _He probably hates her. But not enough to hurt her, right? Not Jareth said that he’d raised him. He wouldn't have told him to hurt her- or me._

Sarah arrived to the golden doors that led into the throne room. She licked her lips. She was glad that she hadn't run into any guards or servants, but at the same time was worried at how empty the usually bustling castle was. She rose a hand to the door, a strong hesitation gripping her. She closed her eyes and pushed it slightly, the weight of it only permitting her to slide it open a foot or two. She slid into the room, eyes wide. A single beam of light drifted in through the door, otherwise it was pitch black. She felt the crystal vibrate in her hand. She looked to it. It started to glow softly, a small red flame flickering within it. She held it up. Her brow rose and her heart raced. All around her, plastered to the walls, scattered on the floor, hanging from the ceiling were pictures of her. Thousands of different pictures lined the room, each defaced with a red ink that made Sarah’s blood curdle. X’s and scribbles covered the photos, scratching out her face, slicing her neck, or spelling out large letters in the language of the Labyrinth. Her whole body shook in terror. This was more than a shrine to hatred, it was a shrine to detestation, and even more evidently, her death. This was Toby’s doing. 

She ran to the door and pushed herself back out, the brightness stabbing at her eyes. Her knees wobbled and she fell to the floor, her hands trembling in fists against the cold stone. Her mind searched frantically for something, she didn't even know what for. Her head shot up as a crash erupted from her right. A goblin had dropped his sword and had a look of fear on his face that matched hers. Sarah’s eyes panned over him. 

“Hoggle?” she whispered. A brief second of relief filled her mind. But it was short lived.

“TOBY!” the goblin screamed, grabbing his sword. “SHE’S HERE!”

“No! Hoggle it's me!” She stood. The small creature screeched and lunged at her, the tip of his sword slicing her arm. She cried out in pain. He called for Toby again. She heard an intensely livid noise nearing her from far down the tunnel. Her breathing became staggered as the sound invaded her mind and blood trickled down to her wrist, dripping onto the crystal. _It's Toby... He's coming..._ She stuffed the orb into a small pocket at her waist, turned, and took off down the hall, away from Hoggle, and far away from Toby. Tears mixed with sweat as she ran, lost and alone. Her safety and her life rested with her, but she couldn't run fast enough. He was in her mind, tracking her like prey. He was coming to kill her. 

She skidded to a stop as she passed a partially open door. She leapt into its room and slammed it shut. Sarah traced it, looking for a lock. She grunted in fear as she found none. The sound became louder. A chair sat near her and she wedged it under the door handle. The noise grew louder still. He was almost here. 

Sarah turned and quickly looked around the chamber for places to hide. There was a bed, a bureau, and a large wardrobe. She nodded and fled to the only one that could offer her at least some protection from the terror that was in pursuit. She opened the doors to the wardrobe just as the noise stopped. She shakily turned her head to the door. The knob clicked as it slowly turned into the chair, preventing its door from moving open. Sarah let out a small sigh of relief. Suddenly the handle shot up and down frantically, the frenzied sounds of shoving and scratching emanating from the other side of the door. Sarah jumped in fear and pulled herself into the wardrobe, closing it tightly. She fell to its base in a shivering mass of tears and terror, closing her eyes and listening to the rage that filled every pound on the door. She heard it suddenly snap and splinter and squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. Loud, thundering footsteps echoed within the room. He was here. Sarah pushed herself further back and gripped her face tightly with her hands, not even breathing. The footsteps stomped toward the wardrobe. It was like a timer ticking down. _5, 4, 3, 2…_ She opened her eyes. _1._ The doors swung open.


	13. His Eyes

Sarah’s raw eyes had already welled with tears when he opened the doors, drowning her in otherworldly light. She tried to prepare herself for the horrors to come, but when she began to truly focus on the man who stood outside, a mix of confusion, relief, and terror waved over her. She had been wrong. It wasn’t Toby.

“Come with me,” he urged in a smooth, collected voice, that somehow still echoed the upmost urgency. Sarah shook. The immediate thing she noticed was that this man– whoever he was– was handsome. _True Sarah, but there’s something else isn’t there? Look at him!_ Her inner monologue once again raised a rather poignant point. Yes, he was handsome, but that wasn’t the pressing bit. _Come on, Sarah! Just open your eyes!_ She gazed at him, stunned, trying to piece together why his features held a familiarity that both troubled and calmed her. He was dressed like a knight, solid black metal protectively gripping his body. He held a deadly-looking sword in his left hand, which somehow was a darker color than his armor. His dark hair feathered off his forehead, ending at his softly pointed eyebrows. He looked to be straight out of a fairy tail, but her attention was still glued to his face. _Wait…_ She looked at him cautiously. _Those eyes…_ She felt as if she could trust him, but remembered the first rule of the the Labyrinth. _Everything's not what it seems._ She slowly began to stand, planning her escape in her mind.

“Hurry! They will be here soon!” He held out his hand to her. He looked to the door then back to her. _Those eyes._

“Who are you?” Sarah eyed the man. He groaned.

“There is no time! They are on their way!” He grabbed her hand. She pulled back, slamming against the back panel of the wardrobe. Again, his head spun to the door. The sound of screaming and heavy boot steps began to creep into their ears. The man sighed and turned to Sarah, hastily sheathing his weapon. His hands swiftly layered her face, her cheeks nestled coldly in his metal-plated palms. She squeaked a cry and raised a hand to attack.

“Sarah Adeline Williams.” His eyes peered into her soul. Her fist stopped in an instant. He leaned forward, his eyes locked and determined. She became overwhelmed by them. _They're Jareth's eyes..._ He continued in a whisper, “Follow me.” 

“Who are you?” She whispered again with lost composure.

“I am the only one who can get you out of here alive.” He smiled. She nodded, not knowing quite why. He took her hand and sped her out of the room. Sarah gasped in surprise. The mysterious man grunted in agitation.

"I was truly hoping we could avoid these goons." He pulled Sarah behind him and unsheathed his sword from the scabbard at his waist. He held it up in defense. A group of unseemly red creatures with swords and spears had surrounded them. 

"Not these guys." Sarah recognized them quickly as the impressively unlikable Fire Gang. One fat, gangly beast layered in chain-mail stepped forward and spoke calmly in a thick Jamaican accent.

“Well, well, well, what do we got here boys? Ta’ Black Knight.”

“Hello, Eidle. How is the wife?” the knight asked curtly.

“Still wit’ ta’ baker, ‘tanks to you!” The furry, red monster growled, gripping a tiny sheathed sword. “Now we are under orders to bring t'at witch in! How ‘bout ya’ let us do our jobs and we get ya’ a real nice jail cell. Deal?”

“No, thank you. In fact I–” The savior clearly had a charming banter going with the creature, but Sarah had much more pressing matters on her mind. 

“On what charges?” she chimed, pressing her chin to the metal of the knight’s shoulder plate. 

The goblin shuffled and stiffened. “Yes, right. I almost forgot. ‘Tank you for reminding me. Sarah Williams. Ya' are under arrest for ta' murder of ta' late king Jaret', attempted murder of king Toby, and disturbance of ta' peace in ta' form of constant t'reat to ta' life and prosperity of ta' Labyrint'." He grunted. Sarah looked at him, stunned. The Fieries she'd met had never been very bright. Terrifying, true, especially when they forcibly tried to remove her head after detaching each of theirs. But these things were different. They had been transformed into little soldiers, and seemingly competent ones. _What could have changed so much?_ Her eyes widened as she realized she hadn’t heard a single thing he said. He went on, "How do ya' plead?" His face straightened, his brow drooping heavily over his beady eyes. Sarah blinked in confusion. Her savior looked to her over a bulky shoulder piece. 

"Well?" he said, a dashing smile playing on his lips. "How do you plead?"

"Um," Sarah's eyes drifted from the man to the goblins, any sense of urgency dissolving. "Not guilty?"

The guards' captain stepped forward, his brow raising. Sarah's knight held his sword tightly.

“Not guilty, you say?” The orange creature took a deep breath. The surrounding beasts breathed in as well. Sarah looked at them, confused. The man smiled with confident aggression raising a pitch black sword, preparing for battle. The fiery monsters suddenly let out a large, menacing laugh in unison, making Sarah jolt. The creatures screeches were nerve-wracking. Sarah began to shake. 

"'Miss Williams," her knight whispered in her ear, the cackling of the guards almost drowning out his words, "Do not fear them. I am much more powerful.” He stepped forward, spinning his sword playfully in his hands. The creatures squealed in surprise and glee. They each pulled stubby, rusty blades out of their armored hides. They all lunged forward, thrashing their swords in the air. The knight sliced his masterful blade within the congregation of fiery creatures. In one fell swoop he decapitated all the beasts, the severed heads dropping to the ground in intense aggravation.

The man grabbed Sarah's hand. "Come on, then!" He smiled with great enjoyment as the fire guards rolled on the floor squirming, their bumbling bodies stumbling around trying to reattach their heads. Sarah and the man sped down the hall, the knight taking the lead. Sarah turned her head to see the creatures. The captain screamed.

“Tis’ is only a minor inconvenience! Get up, men!” His head bounced around flopping against his companions', attempting to raise the morale of his dismembered comrades. Sarah laughed slightly. The man pulled her farther away from the fire gang. He slid to a stop as they passed a wall with even more pictures of Sarah, this time reimagined into a multitude of wanted posters. Sarah looked them over sadly.

 

_Sarah Williams_

_WANTED_

_Dead or Alive_

_(Preferably Dead)_

_For Murder & Treason _

 

The knight grinned. “Well, it looks like you are a wanted woman, Miss Williams."

Sarah neared the wall. Her lips twisted to the side. Her hand rose and gently stroked one of the posters, not believing it was real. "I mean, there's resenting me for giving him up and then there's _this._ " She ripped the flier from the stone. "What terrible crimes am I supposed to have committed?" She looked up, the knight leaning against the wall with an uncharacteristic frown. 

"Really? The guards just said it. Were you not paying attention?” He rubbed a smudge on his armor with his thumb. 

Her face was blank. She hadn’t really listened. The knight sighed.

“You killed the king."

Sarah eyes widened. "What?" Her eyes ran over the posters. "Which king?" 

"Have you killed more than one?" He laughed solemnly.

"No, of course not," she said defensively. "It just doesn't make sense." She suddenly heard the clanking of metal far down the hall. She turned to it.

"It looks like they put themselves together faster than usual today. Well," he smiled confidently, "time to run!"

Sarah nodded quickly as he took her hand, the two flying further down the hall. He ran them to a steel door, metal bars streaming down it. A large keyhole sat where the knob would be. Sarah pulled it. 

"It's locked," she said.

"Of course! They are not going to leave the Xylodor pen open for everyone to walk in willy-nilly." He pulled a key out of his pocket and lodged it in the lock. He turned it with a click.

Sarah's eyes grew wide, fearful. "The Xylodor pen? Where the Xylodor lives? Doesn't that, you know... eat people?" 

He looked to her, saddened. "You hurt me, Miss Williams. You of all people should know that nothing here is ever simply what it seems."

"So they keep telling me." Her brow furrowed. The door swung open.

The knight grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her down a flight of stairs, into immediate darkness. She jumped as a loud dragon-like roar filled the black, her rescuer drawing her closer to the creature that lurked in this dungeon. Her eyes darted around, trying to make sense of this room she couldn't see.

Small flames magically began to flicker in candelabras all over the room, gradually raging into rolling fires. Sarah's eyes drifted around, petrified. It was a large, circular cave-like place, a thin layer of water on the ground and stalactites dangling dangerously from the ceiling. There was a hefty rock in the center. _Like a throne,_ Sarah thought. On it sat a giant beast with the head of a dragon and thin scaly lips that dragged from one side of its face to the other. It's body was massive, a mix between a lizard and a horse. _And maybe a shark,_ she thought after the terror of it had set in. She froze as it began to slither off its rock like a bug and near them. The knight let go of Sarah's hand and bowed, backing away from the creature.

"I have brought her." He smiled, bringing his head up. "Just as you instructed, mother."


	14. Monster to Monster

"M-mother..?” Sarah turned to the man, dumbfounded. His smile faded, ignoring her obvious confusion. 

“So, what do you want with her? She does not seem to be anything special.” He neared her and she flinched. She was stunned at the sudden change to his personality. His eyes ran over her, cold and hard. She flinched again. She had trusted him. That was her mistake, which she realized now. She began to breath heavily. Had he brought her to her doom? The deceiver continued, “She did not have even an inch of magic power within her, aside from this." He passed her and strode to the Xylodor. He brought up a hand and Sarah gasped. A crystal ball glistened within his fingers. Sarah frantically searched her pockets. The orb was indeed gone. She grunted and fell to the liquid floor as he slipped the crystal into a pocket in his armor, knowing she was entirely at the mercy of this terrifying monster and her apparent son. She racked her mind for any hope of escape, but knew wholeheartedly that she was helplessly trapped.

She rose her head strongly. "What do you want with me?" Her voice was clear and brave, which surprised even herself. The man and the beast looked to her. The Xylodor's wide mouth grinned in an unpleasant way. It snaked its way toward her. Sarah straightened her back in defiance. She looked on, into the eyes of the creature. It blinked through sideways, transparent eyelids. A motherly soul peered through them.

" _Adeline. Xylodor does not desire to hurt you. She regrets deceiving you. She asks for forgiveness._ " The voice was hollow and echoey. The creature's mouth did not move, but her head fidgeted from side to side like a ball of unstable energy. Sarah's brow knotted. She would have thought it was odd that the monster was calling her by her middle name, but was caught off guard as the voice was took over her head. " _Do not fear, Adeline. The Xylodor grew past the need for simple speech long ago. The direct mind is much more enjoyable company._ " She bowed her head to Sarah. " _She again apologizes for her methods of retrieving you."_

Sarah nodded shakily, not used to another mind invading her own.

"Do not worry. You get used to it after a while," the knight said.

Sarah nodded again, unsure if that would ever be possible.

" _Adeline?_ " Sarah looked back to the Xylodor. " _Do you know why you have come here?_ "

"Because the crystal was cracked," Sarah said quietly.

" _Hm._ " The Xylodor grunted. She looked to the man, twisting her neck behind her. " _Have you not told her anything, son?_ "

"No. Not yet." The knight shook his head. He sighed, "Mother, in the few moments I spent with her, she showed no indication of any of the rumors being true. She did not even seem to have knowledge of her most memorable crimes. How can this girl possibly help us?"

" _Xylodor does not know._ " Her head craned back to Sarah. She began to circle her curiously. The man had a look of disbelief on his face.

"How is that possible? You know everything!"

" _Xylodor does not know._ " She repeated kindly. 

The man stepped forward and scoffed harshly to Sarah, "Just _who_ are you?"

She stood. "I- I'm nobody important," Sarah whispered, "I think. I mean, I'm not even supposed to be in this world."

" _Of course you are, Adeline. Everything has a purpose in the end. You are intriguing however to Xylodor. She is omniscient, you see. In her own future and her son's, she can see you. You will help her, Adeline._ " Her pointed snout sniffed an inch away from Sarah, their noses practically touching. The creature looked even more enormous this close. " _But Xylodor cannot see into the future of you, Adeline. Though it is an experience not knowing, it is troublesome. It seems that, perhaps, your destiny is up to you._ " She blinked her eyes in reverence. " _That is a very special gift._ " 

Sarah looked around, not fully understanding. This world was somehow even stranger than the one she knew. Her confusion reflected into the eyes of the creature, who in turn smiled again. She turned from Sarah.

" _Dear boy, this girl has suffered enough confusion for one night. Show her to her chambers. She deserves some rest._ " The Xylodor nodded her head toward the knight. He sighed,

"Of course, mother." He bowed. "Come on then, Miss Williams. This way." He gestured to a small crack in the cave wall that was just big enough for a person to squeeze through. Sarah looked to him and nodded, a burst of confidence rising up inside her as she stood. She turned her head to the Xylodor.

"I expect answers, and I don't promise to help you. I _will_ make my _own_ destiny."

" _Of course, Adeline._ "

Sarah crossed the room to the opening in the wall. The knight waved his hand, motioning her to go first. She humphed at him and slid through the crack. She looked at it, curiously, her eyes squinting in the dark. There was a set of stairs leading down to a smooth stone wall. The man followed suit, the clunky pieces of his armor ripping loudly at the walls. He looked to Sarah with evident annoyance.

"It's a dead end,” she said.

"No, it is not." He sighed deeply, obviously tired of explaining everything to her. "Look up."

Her head rose up, her eyes catching on an upside down staircase mirroring the one below. She lowered the steps, remembering the last confrontation she'd had with Jareth on her first adventure to _her_ labyrinth. Her eyes followed the steps above her head.

"So, do I just jump then?" 

He looked at her confusedly for a moment then smiled a laugh. His eyes softened.

“What?" Sarah looked to him, slightly annoyed at his ever sporadic personality changes. 

“You are not surprised?”

“Of course not. I’ve done this before.” She smiled cockily, masking her slight feeling of fear. She looked up, then fluttered her eyelids shut. Her feet rose off the floor as she leapt, drifting through the air in a moment of disarray. She felt herself land. She opened her eyes. 

"Well, Miss Williams, you are full of surprises.” He hovered above her, stuck to the ceiling of stairs where Sarah had just jumped from. She laughed.

"You don't know the half of it!" 

He flew up and levitated between the platforms, his heels meeting with the stone beside Sarah. He grinned.

“Shall we, then?”

Sarah nodded. They walked through a giant archway and Sarah stopped, stunned.

She marveled at the scene. They were on a steep cliff with equally steep stairs leading off down to the right. Flickering candelabras, which looked like they'd been gathering dust and cobwebs for a millennium, draped the walls, lining the space in tiny pinpoints all around. A magnificently giant chandelier hung from the ceiling, lighting up the entire room with soft, iridescent candlelight.

But the most impressive part of this place, which had been cut off from the living for obviously far too long, was the enormous labyrinth that was throned in its center. Sarah stared at it, amazed. It shimmered in soft curves, the maze spiraling up to a hauntingly beautiful castle. It was definitely much more refined than the labyrinth on the surface. 

"It's beautiful..." Sarah whispered.

"It is." The knight smiled, meeting her at the cliff edge. He lifted a hand toward the labyrinth. "I welcome you, Miss Williams, to _the Underground_..."


	15. Object of Obsession

Her eyes could not be drawn away. _The Underground_ , she thought. It was spectacular. The man took her arm and pulled her down the stairs. She smiled widely. 

"What are you grinning about?" The knight said sternly. 

"It's just so amazing! Truly!" Sarah spun to the man. "Has this always been here?" They stumbled down the steps. The man laughed slightly.

"It has been here since the dawn of the Labyrinth's conception. My mother told me."

"So," Sarah tried to be polite, still not sure if she should trust this man or not, “the Xylodor really is your mom?” The stairs were getting steeper, but Sarah saw the ground approaching steadily. _Just who are you?_ She continued, "How did that happen?"

"Well," he took a deep breath and sighed, as if contemplating whether he could trust heror not. He went on, "as an infant, I was sent into the Xylodor pen. I was intended to be eaten, but she spared me. She raised me as her son and taught me everything I know."

“Oh,” Sarah paused. “I'm sorry."

"Do not be." He smiled. "I was fine. She was very kind to me."

"I guess. But what monster would send a baby to be eaten?"

"It was due to a familial dispute. People do not always love their families and, apparently, I was an incredible inconvenience to mine." He smiled. Sarah's mouth twitched.

"But that's awful. Your family should be your family no matter what happens."

He seemed to snap back to his coldhearted demeanor when she said this. “You are one to talk,” he humphed. He let go of her as they reached the ground. "We are here." He motioned to an elegant purple door on the wall. "This is your room."

"What's this?" Sarah queried, pointing to a green door that stood beside the purple one. 

"That would be my room," he sighed, as if it were the most obvious thing in this strange world. "Call if you need anything." He quickly opened his door and slammed it shut. Sarah heard a lock click harshly inside and reeled back, offended. Her brow furrowed. She looked up, curious, the enchantment of it all starting to fade away. _What am I going to do?_

She turned, the mysterious labyrinth towering dauntingly below her. Another staircase led elegantly down to the maze. She turned to the bedroom doors. _I should probably go inside..._ She contemplated. Her lips pressed together. She shook her head and turned back around. She flew down the stairs, the dilapidated opening beckoning her. She knew the danger. _Just hold on! You can't go in there alone! You have no clue what's in there!_ Her eyes widened as she stepped toward it, her mind trying hopelessly to pull her away. Her logic finally gave up. _Curiosity killed the cat, Sarah. Remember that will you?_ "I will."

She stepped through the entrance. 

 

A photo of her burned in his hand. A glowing sphere rolled in his other. He sat, lounging sideways in a large golden throne. He grimaced. Two goblins rushed into the chamber, shivering. They whispered incoherently to each other, fear filling their rushed speech.

"We gotta tell 'im." 

"Fine then, _you_ do it."

"Uh-uh. It'll go over much better if _you_ do it."

"No, no. I insist _you_ tell ‘im."

"You really should-"

The crystal violently shattered on the floor in an explosion of flickering fog and a high pitch noise that resembled screaming. The goblins quieted, shaking even more.

"If you have something to say, then say it." His voice was harsh and demanding. 

The first goblin nodded. She gulped. "Well, Sarah, ya know, well-”

“Sarah?” He leaned forward eagerly. “What of her?”

“It seems that she evaded our guards," the second goblin continued.

“The Black Knight helped 'er escape, me lord.” 

All was silent for a moment, then the man broke out into menacing laughter.

"Of course!” He smiled an unsettling, wolffish grin. "The fun is in the chase, my friends. I wouldn't have it any other way." He laughed again, then turned suddenly serious. "Now leave me, I must prepare." 

The goblins shook their heads 'yes' and sped out of the room. The man stroked his lips, deep in thought. He smiled and stood, walking to where he had thrown the crystal. He knelt down, shimmering glass shards tangling within his kingly ensemble. He scooped some up roughly in his hand. His palm soon was trickling blood, slices lining his fingers. He grinned again.

“You will pay gravely for what you have done, dear sister. I assure you of that. You are in my realm now. Fear me.” 

The face of a woman flickered through the shards. Her eyes grew wide. She looked afraid.


	16. Nothing But Toys

Her stomach turned. A wretched smell filled her nose. Though not as vile as the Bog of Eternal Stench, it definitely was a close second. Her eyes widened, a chill of fear gripping her. She felt like she was being watched. Her head craned around, peering into the old broken stone that made up the walls of the labyrinth. The feeling grew stronger. Her gut told her to escape. She turned around to the entrance. It was gone. She gasped in fear. She stumbled back, petrified. 

This labyrinth was threatening. It made her skin crawl. The soft chandelier flickered hauntingly hundreds of feet above her, casting off ghostly shadows in the dark. She spun around to find a thin hallway formed in the exact shape of a woman. She looked at it with fearful curiosity. It was her silhouette. She looked up. A message stood in blinking neon lights, taunting her. _This way, Sarah Williams,_ it read. She turned away from the obvious trap. She felt along the high purple rocks for another way. _Of course not_ , she thought, _they wouldn't let me escape after I walked in here willingly. Stupid._ She grunted and turned back around. The sign had changed. _No dawdling. This way._ She sneered at it. She turned again.

“There has to be another way!” she said, flustered. She spun back to the woman shaped passage. The sign above replied in cartoonish letters, _Oh really, now. What exactly do you expect to find?_

“Another way,” Sarah grunted. She attempted one final escape. She sighed heavily and turned to the path, accepting her current situation. 

 _Come along, then._ A large arrow glowed below its words in waving blinking lights. She sighed again. 

“Fine.” She stepped forward. She inched to the hallway and slid through it, the rocks perfectly encasing her body. It was a long tunnel. A very long tunnel. An intense claustrophobia began to overwhelm her. She sped up. _I can’t breathe!_ Her eyes squeezed shut as she felt the walls begin to push in on her. The pressure was crushing her. Smothered by the stone, she felt herself lose consciousness. Her eyelids fell shut. _I can't..._

Suddenly, the pressure released and she fell. She let out a cry as she landed in a colorful room, light shimmering around her from an excessive amount of electric lights. She quickly looked around and sighed when she realized she was alone. She took a deep breath and stood, noticing she was surrounded by toys and games and stuffed animals piled haphazardly, masking the floor with a mountain of playthings. She shuddered and looked down, the hairs on her neck standing on end. The objects below her feet were moving. Her eyes sped around the room. The toys in the center of the mound began to part, making way for a giant beast that rose out of the innocence. It was a dragon, its scales composed entirely of toys and objects- the sharp, dangerous ones that parents never approve of. The beast roared in its throat. Sarah screamed as the lightbulbs began to pop, sending glass shards shooting around the space. The monster reached out a claw made of scissors and electrical sockets, yellow sparks raining down from them in eager aggression. It thumped its massive arm down onto the the jagged ground, causing the entire room to shake. Sarah fell backwards and struggled to stand, trying to get away form the beast that pursued her. 

Suddenly it was quiet. The dragon was breathing softly. She looked to it, fear rising in her, along with a hint of curiosity. It lifted its giant head towards her, tiny trails of smoke drifting out of his electric fan nostrils, his beady eye beads focusing on her.

"I'm alive then not, alive then not- years passing me by," it's deep voice suddenly rumbled against the walls. Sarah's eyes widened in confusion. The beast went on, "I know I ought to be distraught- but I never truly die."

"A riddle," Sarah quietly realized. The dragon slid out a tongue made of zip-ties.

“Quiet, girl. Don't interrupt me,” the beast said sternly. Sarah stood and eyed the creature. _Be calm, and play the game._ She sighed and nodded, the monster not even noticing. “Where was I? Let's see: alive, not, alive, not,” he muttered grouchily, “oh yes, I remember: I never truly die. I jump and glide and play and hide- and love and kill and cry- though I'm just alive within your mind- oh what oh what am I?”

Sarah's mind ran. “A toy soldier!” she quickly blurted out. The dragon pursed his plastic lips, melted black from years of fire breathing.

“Oh, come now girl,” he pouted, slithering his monstrous neck forward. “There are twenty-seven stanzas left.”

“Am I right?” She breathed heavily, noticing a red spark spinning in his clear glass belly.

“I don't quite know, I’ve not finished it yet." His scaly brow lowered in aggression. "Maybe I'll just eat you now. We don't need any more rude girls here." 

"Listen, it's my turn!" She called out, attempting to distract the monster. He looked to her intrigued. 

"You know a good one?" His voice was suddenly jolly. Sarah smiled, masking her fear. Her voice shook.

"Yes, I do. Um..." She thought quickly. Her eyes shot open. "How is a raven like a writing desk?" _Alice in Wonderland_ , one of her favorite stories. One riddle that had no answer. _I have to be quick,_ she thought, plotting her escape. 

"Hmm," the beast groaned, "How is a raven like a writing desk?" His deep voice echoed throughout the room. Sarah slowly slid herself to the back of the mound, nearing the edge, as the dragon thought aloud to himself. 

"Well, it is simple," he suddenly said. Sarah stopped, shocked. _He couldn't have figured that out!_ She looked up to him in surprise, but he wasn't paying her any mind. He was too lost in his epiphany.

"You see, ravens are birds, and writers write about birds, and writers write at a writing desk. So, only logically, one can assume that ravens and writing desks are, indeed, similar." He spoke quietly, but his words still boomed around the room. Sarah watched him with wide eyes, continuing to pull herself away. He continued to orally prove his intellect and Sarah scoffed as she reached the edge. Slowly, she stood. She placed her foot on a solid looking spot and leaned down, preparing to jump out of the view of the dragon. She took a deep breath and began to leap off just as the heel of her foot caught a switch on the ground. Sarah's eyes widened even more as the small music box sang beneath her feet. She turned slightly to see the dragon focusing his eyes on her.

"Where are you going?" His voice grumbled in aggravation, “You awful girl!” His nose steamed. "And after all the trouble I went to solve your simple riddle!" He scoffed, the base of his throat starting to glow a bright orange.  

He huffed unintelligible aggressions; Sarah quickly deciding to simply escape this beast's lair, rather than wait around to see what terrors he could inflict. She spun back to the edge, not knowing at all if that even was an escape. 

She turned slightly, taking one last glance at the dragon, just as it roared, spilling hot orange flames out of his charred, melted-plastic mouth. Sarah screamed and leapt off the edge. Her foot caught and she slipped, stumbling down, sliding to the bottom, now realizing that this mountain of things was muchtaller than she thought. It took her a good while to finally fall to the ground, shaken and worried. 

She picked herself off the floor and walked forward curiously. She looked up to see a sea of smoke trailing down the tower, but knew that the way down was much too tight for a huge monster to pull himself through. Well, she hoped. _Let's just hurry up and find the exit here,_ she thought. 

She looked around and met her eyes. A wall of mirror stood across from her. She looked to it cautiously. It seemed off. She rose her left hand. It reflected. She lowered it. It rose higher. She gasped and stepped back, the reflection reaching forward. It began to scream silently. Sarah could see her mouth in the mirror saying one thing, _help!_ Sarah pounced forward and started banging on the glass. Her reflection fell onto the mirror as if all the oxygen in the room had gone. She hit the mirror hard with her hand. 

Sarah spun around, panicked. An orb was bouncing down the pile. All Sarah could hear was the _tink tink tink_ as it fell, coming to meet her. It rolled to her feet. She grabbed it and threw it hard at the mirror just as the reflected Sarah lifted her head. She was smiling. The mirror shattered.

A black wall stood behind the broken glass, a bright yellow door poking out of it. Sarah eyed it and neared warily. She took a fearful step back as it squeaked open slowly, and completely on its own. She stomped her foot.

“Now listen to me Sarah, this is nothing we haven't dealt with before. This is nothing.” She sped through the door, trying not to pay attention to the waver in her voice. Her eyes opened wide as she realized she was in the castle. She was in Jareth's throne room. She beamed. It was filthy. It was loud. And there were absolutely no scary pictures of her anywhere. Was this still the other world? Or had she somehow made it back to her own? She spun around and her heart skipped a beat. A man was looking out a large window, leaning against the stone of the wall as goblins roamed the space, attacking each other with minuscule versions of weapons and fists. But the man was what caught her eye. His long white hair and his pointy leather garb made Sarah grin widely.

“Jareth?” Sarah's glee filled voice echoed around the room as the surrounding creatures fell silent. She looked around worriedly. The goblins had all slumped over as if they were sleeping or something much more permanent.  She looked to the man. Her eyes hardened. “Toby.”


	17. Flesh and Blood

“I'm so pleased you could make it,” the boy said, hate cascading off his cordial words. He turned to her. It _was_ Toby. She stepped back, hurt beyond words at the repulsed stare that stabbed at her. Just a few months ago Sarah had gone to see Toby in his high school play. He was the main character, the hero. He had already been approached by talent scouts. She had been so proud. He was so good. A normal, happy boy. An adored beyond measure little brother. But _this_ was not her brother, not in any sense. _He_ would _never_ look at her this way. Toby continued spitefully, “Now that you're here, don't think you're ever getting out.” His arm sliced through the air and a harsh wind knocked Sarah to the floor as all the creatures around the room disintegrated into nothing. She looked up, pushing herself off the floor. Toby knelt in front of her. His face stood stonily across from hers. She looked down. She hated the way he was looking at her. _No, I need to hold my ground._ She looked up, straight into his eyes.

He stood and laughed, “You dare look me in the eye? Do you _wish_ to die?” 

Sarah's mind quickly ran, “Toby, listen, I know what you think I did to you. Not Jareth explained it all to-”

Toby's eyes caught fire and he lunged at her, wrapping a hand around her neck, cutting off her words. He lifted her with ease and she clawed at his hand, her breath cut off. He screamed with intense guttural fury that rumbled through the room, “Dare you speak his name! You deserve a slow execution, witch! One I shall happily provide!” He flung her to the ground. Sarah choked in breath. 

“But before I kill you, I have some other things planned.” He smiled and grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. He tightened his grip, making Sarah cry out in pain. “Does that hurt?” Sarah winced. “Good. Don't worry, there's much worse in store for you!” He smiled and began to walk Sarah to toward the large gold doors that led out of the throne room. Suddenly, they swung open and Toby's face fell. A man clad in dark armor stood strongly between them.

“Ah, the Black Knight. Have you come to rescue this wretch?” 

“I have.” He walked forward slowly and drew his sword. Toby smiled and spun Sarah in front of him, his arm gripping her firmly at her throat. She gasped in shock. She craned her neck back to the man holding her captive; her own flesh and blood. _No, that's wrong. He isn't my Toby. He isn't my Toby._ She  squeezed her eyes closed as her captor jostled her, intent on the knight. Her brow bunched as the he slowly advanced. _Not slowly_ , Sarah realized, _confidently._ She smiled, again placing her trust in him. She turned her head back to Toby, bravery rising inside her. This was her chance to explain herself.

“Toby, I am not your sister.”

He looked into her eyes, his face fiery. He smiled and roughly pulled her closer. She winced as his arm tightened around her neck like a snake. He whispered in her ear, “Never a truer word.” He rose his head and rapidly shot a hand toward the knight. A blue spark of energy rippled through his fingers and bulleted through the air, targeting Sarah's savior. The man laughed under his breath and swung his sword in front of him, the sharp, metal blade absorbing the magic with ease. He stepped forward as Toby's confusion burned through the room. 

“How did you...?”

“Oh, my young king,” the knight laughed, now only a few feet away. Toby's brow knotted and Sarah felt him take a small step back. She didn't blame him. Her knight was even intimidating _her_. He had a certain heat around him and even though he was smiling, it was clear that he was serious and ready to kill. His eyes focused on Toby. He continued softly, “There is absolutely nothing you can do to harm me.” 

Toby shuffled backward, pulling Sarah with him. She gripped his arm, his tension tightening his hold on her. He flailed his hand through the air, shooting an arsenal of magic at the Black Knight, him catching every threat within his pitch black blade. 

He rose his sword to his mouth and licked it softly. Sarah and Toby looked at him, dumbfounded. He brought up his helmeted head and smiled. “Mm. That will do.” He suddenly lunged forward, flicking his blade skillfully through the air. In a moment it began to glow brighter and brighter, making an intense humming noise as electric sparks encased it. The magic the sword had taken in rapidly formed at the tip and shot out in a neon blue lightning bolt, straight into Toby's chest. He released Sarah, trying to defend himself, but instead flew back and plummeted to the floor, defeated.

Sarah fell to the floor, gripping her raw neck. She looked up to the knight.

“Thank you,” she uttered. He did not respond, his eyes intent on the body that laid helplessly on the floor, still breathing. He passed Sarah and advanced to the unconscious Toby on the other side of the room. Her eyes followed him. He rose his sword and started to plunge it down towards the body at his feet.

“Stop!” Sarah screamed. She jumped up and flew towards Toby, the knight halting midair. He turned to her, dumbfounded.

“He tried to kill you,” he said confusedly, “He will do it again.” His sword pointed at Toby's chest. Sarah winced.

“I know that,” she said. She knelt beside the boy. “I know he's not really my brother, but he _is_ Toby. Once he understands who I am-”

“Do you actually think that will make a difference? He is out for Sarah's blood. _Your_ blood. He has been preparing for years. We must stop him _now!_ ” 

“No.” Sarah smiled and moved the boy's hair to the side of his face. She stood and looked at her knight. She grabbed the hilt of his sword around his leather bound hand and pushed it to his chest. “He's only seventeen. He doesn't understand things yet. God, I'm thirty and even _I_ don't have anything figured out. But,” she sighed, “I know I can make him believe me, somehow.” She looked down at Toby and the knight scoffed, jolting his hand free and placing his sword back into its scabbard. 

“Your naïveté will get you killed, but if you absolutely insist then fine. I will not kill him _now_.”

“Thank you-” Sarah stopped and looked at the knight, confused.

“What is it?” 

“I just realized that you haven't told me your name yet.”

“I have not?” His eyes sunk in thought. Sarah shook her head. A small laugh escaped his lips. “Hm. Well, Miss Williams, perhaps I simply wish to embrace the mystery.” He smiled and turned from her, nearing the golden doors. Sarah scoffed a laugh and ran behind him, crossing her arms in impatient defiance. 

“Believe me _sir knight_ , I've had enough mystery to last a lifetime.” She looked up at him and sighed, “Well, you know if you don't tell me, I _will_ have to make one up.” She heard him laugh slightly and smiled. “Come on, I really want to know!”

“Perhaps I willtell you. When we are safer, though. The boy may soon awaken.” He grinned and turned, holding his hand out to her. She saw a flash of Jareth's intensity in the knight's mismatched eyes. The labyrinth must do that to people. She bit her lip and slid her palm into his as she wondered if her eyes held that same passion. 

He smiled widely. “Let us get out of here then, before anything else tries to kill us!”

Sarah laughed, “Yes, let's!”

The two sped out of the room, not noticing the steadily growing beam of light streaming out of the boy's sleeve. Toby shuffled in his unconscious state, jostling his arm to the side. A small, glowing crystal sphere rolled out of his robes. If he had been conscious to see it, he would have beheld a strange sight. The orb began to float of its own volition, and as it spun gently in the air, the young king would have noticed one other odd, inexplicable thing– a thick, jagged crack.


	18. Lost in the Past

“Father, when are you going to teach me how to travel to the human world?” His voice was eager. Jareth chuckled under his breath.

“When you are a man, Toby. I have told you time and time again that that planet is much too dangerous for you.” He looked at him and arched his eyebrows. “Trust my judgement, boy.”

“But I _am_ a man. I am powerful enough to defend myself! Even against _Sarah_!”

"Don't say her name!" Jareth stood up quickly and glared at the boy. He spoke slowly and directly, “How powerful am _I_ , Toby?”  

The boy’s eyes shifted. “Well, you’re the most powerful person in all the known lands! You have defeated every being foolish enough to oppose you! There is no power greater than yours.” 

“She is of equal power. You have no hope of defeating me. How will you defeat her?” He walked over to Toby and said quietly, “And she will actually be _trying_ to kill you.” He patted his shoulder. He turned to leave, exiting the throne room through the massive doors that led out of it. "Do not fear, my son, I will teach you how to protect yourself. And maybe even to travel between the worlds. When you are ready." The doors thumped shut. 

Toby grunted in anger. He kicked the floor, indenting a deep crevice in the marble.

“He will _never_ let me go.” 

Years passed. Toby still persisted.

"Oh come now father," Toby strolled eagerly behind Jareth, nipping at his leather jacket's train. "I am nearly sixteen. I have mastered all the spells I need to inherit the throne. I could very well take over as king if anything happened to you."

"Is there a purpose to this Toby, or are you just threatening me." Jareth sighed. 

"Father," Toby lowered his voice, "I simply think it's time."

Jareth laughed.

"Father, I just feel-"

"You feel?" Jareth spun around and swiped his hand down in disapproval. "What? That you're more powerful than her? That you can defeat her alone? With what? A few spells? Your wit? Listen, Toby, she rules that world. If you fulfilled your ageless ambition and went to that horrible place, she would find you and destroy you in a second. It's taken all I have just to hide you for this long!" He sighed and turned back around. "Remember son, I may be more powerful than her, stronger than her, but even I could never beat her. If you ever do face off against Sarah Williams," he began to walk away, regaining his kingly composure, "you'll be facing her alone."

He entered the throne room and the massive doors closed behind him.

Toby clenched his knuckles. "I know father. I'm prepared.”

He left the castle, wandering into the giant garden that surrounded it. He sped to his secret place, the place where he, as a boy, learned and practiced his magic. His coattails swept the grassy floor to a small grove hidden beneath a tower of flowers. He took a deep breath. He was not afraid. He kept telling himself this. Not afraid. Not even after his father's countless warnings. No, not afraid. She was, whether anyone liked it or not, his family, his own flesh and blood. He refused to believe that she was wholly evil. He believed he could take her in a fight, though whether he actually could or not remained to be seen. He would, however, give her a chance, a chance to apologize, to ease the guilt he was sure she felt. Toby could show her benevolence. He would. He would be the man he was born to be. A prince. A king. He was not afraid. 

He raised up his arms, chanting a spell, a spell that would, hopefully, open a portal to that other world. He went on, speaking ancient words, his chest tightening in anticipation. Suddenly, the surroundings began to glow and twist, a large dark hole expanding unnervingly in midair. It cast off spikes of magnified, warped colors, and made a disturbing humming sound that reminded Toby of a battle hymn. The opening began to suck in the world, pulling everything it could see towards it with force. Toby lifted his arm and stumbled nearer, its gravitational power increasing. 

The hum became a scream. The glow became the sun. He inched his hand into the blackness, the tips of his fingers sinking into the abyss. He took a deep breath and pushed his arm futher into the portal, confidence rising within him. 

"Toby! Toby, stop!" a frantic voice called eagerly. He turned to it, his body being steadily consumed by the dark. 

"Father?" he screamed over the hole's deafening cry. 

"It isn't safe! She is past redemption! I never thought you would actually try and fight her alone!" Jareth sped over to him, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him away from the expanding opening. Toby shoved him away. 

"Father, I am not a child! I cannot continue to just live in fear! I will not be a _coward like you_!"

"Toby, please, just listen to me!" Jareth placed his body between his son and the hungry blackness, the piercing screeching almost drowning out his words. "I am doing this for your own protection!"

Toby grunted. His angry eyes were so focused on his father and his cowardly explanations that they almost didn't notice the slender, pale form rising from behind his shoulder, from the darkness. Toby's expression fell. It was a woman. And she had madness in her eyes. 

"Father, watch out!" Toby screamed just as the woman wrapped her arm around his neck. The boy urgently flicked his hand toward the banshee, laser red beams shooting out of his fingers. However, before his magic could find its target, her eyes widened and she began to fall back. One measly needle of magic She was still coiled around his father As soon as Jareth fell through, and a startled, pained cry was heard, the hole closed itself, sending out a final gust of magic that knocked the boy down, in a heap on the grass. The ringing, the light, the intensity all stopped in a fraction of a second. 

“No. No. No!” All that could be heard was Toby's ragged breathing. All that could be seen was his confusion, and his quickly blubbering, tear soaked face. All that could be remembered was the woman he had seen in the photographs. _Sarah would pay._

He slowly pulled himself up, his tears burning down his cheeks. His clenched fists began to shake in hatred. The garden suddenly caught flame, dark grey ash layering the green. 

“Father... I'm sorry. She will pay for this. I swear it.” He turned, walking out of the death struck space. “If it's the last thing I do,” he promised through clenched teeth, “Sarah Williams will die.”


	19. The Black Knight

Sarah and the Black Knight sped to the door to the Xylodor pen, only to find it heavily guarded by the reinforcements of the fire gang. They slid behind a wall, out of sight. 

"Well, we can not go that way." The knight sighed. He looked around and smiled. "I guess we just have to find an alternate route."

"Alright what did you have in mind?"

The knight contemplated, his mismatched eyes sparkling. "I have an idea. Hurry, this way.” He grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her down a long stone hallway, a puzzle of doors, and a multitude of secret passages. After about ten minutes of running, the knight stopped, releasing Sarah. He walked slowly to the center of the room and knelt down. Sarah, meanwhile, caught her breath. She placed her arms on her hips and panted, looking around the space. 

It was an old stone room. It looked mostly abandoned, save the few bugs and rat-like creatures that now occupied it. Cobwebs rained down from the ceiling, and dust layered the furniture in inch-thick crusts. Speaking of furniture, there was a surprisingly beautiful array in this ancient, decrepit room: a garish, child-sized bed, a school table and chair, fabric lined wardrobes, a spectacular carved mirror that filled up most of one of the walls, and one object that peaked Sarah’s interest. 

A baby’s crib. 

“Where are we?” she asked intrigued, swiping a finger over its grainy surface.

“The,” the knight sighed. He looked up slightly and spoke, “princes' quarters.”

“Oh, so Jareth was in here as a baby?” She smiled, imagining a small, lean tot with wild hair and wild moods. The knight’s eyes fell.

“No. He never inhabited this room. I am not even sure he stepped foot here.”

Sarah turned to him, “No? Was there another prince that used this room?”

“There was only one.” He stood, nearing Sarah. He smiled faintly. “You said you wanted to know about me.”

Sarah's eyes widened, “You were a prince?”

“In a sense. I will spare you the sob story of my childhood, but I _was_ , long ago.” His face looked pained, as if every word he spoke stabbed him. 

Sarah touched her fingers to his metal forearm, “Don't worry, you don't have to talk about it. But if you do, my years of being alone, I found, somehow made me a very good listener.” She smiled. He returned it with one of his own. Suddenly he shook his head and his eyes became hard.

“Sorry, _Miss Williams_ , but I am not interested in telling my past to someone who destroyed it for so many.”

Sarah crossed her arms, her brow arching. “I don't know what it is with you. One second you're nice, the next you're a jerk.”

“I apologize, I seem to keep forgetting what you have done. I shall not show you tenderness again. I should not have even brought you here.” He turned and made for the door, “What was I thinking?” He said under his breath.

“Hey!” Sarah rushed over and pulled on his shoulder. He spun around, agitated. She looked into his eyes, so closed off and distant. A lightbulb went off in her head. “Oh, that's it.” She sighed a laugh and poked his armor, understanding his coldness toward her. “I get it. You have a problem with Evil Sarah. There are two of us.” 

His face registered his confusion. She smiled. “Okay, I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours after. Deal?”

His eyes eyes darted away, then back to her and his head made a slight nod.

“Alright. I come from an alternate reality, or something like that. Toby, this world's Toby, made a portal to my world. My world: where I _never_ gave up Toby, I _never_ killed Jareth, I _never_ got insane magic powers over my world. It's very different. This world's Jareth isn't even dead, he's just trapped in my world.” She gripped his shoulders. “She's evil. I'm not. I sincerely hope you see that.” She smiled. His face was blank. “Does that solve things?”

“I,” he contemplated what he'd been told, “I do not understand.” He looked into her eyes, looking like he was about to cry. “Are you saying that the king is alive?” 

“Yeah. And I could prove it if I could figure out how to get back there.” She sighed, her mouth pulling to the side. “Anyway, that’s not the issue here. I need a friend here, and I can’t have you keep going all alternate personalities on me. Are we good?” 

He sighed. “It is true I harbor resentment toward Sarah, but even if it is how you say- that there are two of you- that still means that somewhere deep inside of you, you are just as twisted as she is. You have the potential to be a threat. For that we cannot be _good_.”

“I am not twisted. I’m not evil. I’m not crazy. I am unequivocally ordinary. Jareth chose me. Why? He said- oh, what was it?- that I was always open to the impossible. So? Lots of girls are. He could’ve chosen one of them. I’ll never really know what he saw in me. I’ll bet it’s something you can’t really put into words. All I know is that when I first came here, it was the first time in my life I ever felt powerful. It was the only time I could make a decision of real worth. It was all me. _My_ power. _I_ saved Toby, not because I wanted anything in return, but because it was right. It was love.” She shook her head and her voice rose, “If she gave him up, that means she never had any love to begin with! I would never ever give him up, not for all the riches or all the power in the universe! That is the difference between me and her.” She rubbed her hand on her brow. She sunk quickly to the floor. She looked up at the man, who just stood silently staring down at her. She scoffed. “I don’t even need your help. It’s obvious you don't want to be here. Go on. I solved the labyrinth once before without dying, I’m sure I can do it again.”

“I am to protect you, Miss Williams.”

“Yeah, well I don’t need any protecting!”

“It sure did not seem that way when the boy had his hand around your throat.” He chuckled.

She choked on her comeback. He was right, as much as she hated to admit it. She would’ve died without his intervention. But that did not stave the angry fire in her chest. She stood. 

He laughed cheerily as she fumed. “You are, however, very passionate.” He neared her. “I must admit, it is admirable. I completely understand why he chose you. You are a ball of fire.”The knight smiled and pointed a commanding finger at her. “Never let anything extinguish that flame.”

“Here you are, nice again. I just can't figure you out.” She sighed in confusion and dropped her head. She rose it with a smirk. “Well, everything is strange here. I can't say I'm not used to having slightly odd friends."

"Only slightly odd? I must be losing my touch." 

Sarah laughed. Her face sunk into seriousness. "I _will_ make you trust me."

"I look forward to it." He bowed his head and met her eyes with his. 

"Good," she smiled. "Well, sir knight, I believe we had a deal. I tell you me if you tell me you, remember?"

He sighed. "Fine." He walked over to the crib solemnly. 

 

He told his story.


	20. The Black Prince

The king glided down the hall, on his way to the throne room. A small boy rushed to his his side, a small wooden sword in his hand. He giggled as he sliced the small weapon in the air in front of him. He tugged gently on the king's robe and smiled.

"Father! Father! Play dragons with me!" 

The man spun around and aimed a dissapointed finger at the child. "Torquil! Stop that at once. We are royalty! You, a future king! One does not bother with simple pursuits." He ripped the sword out of the boy's grip and levitated it above his palm. He rose his arm and in a second, the toy was a flaming chunk of wood. The child's eyes bubbled with tears. "I am bus, _boy._ Cease your pestering." He spun back around, ash clouding the hall. "And future kings do not cry. What a disappointment you are." 

The ash cleared. The king was gone. The boy cried. He wiped his eyes and sniffled in his sadness. He made his face stone. He turned and waved a small hand in the air, his body vanishing from the hall. 

His father was a cruel man and a cruel king. He reveled in wealth and power, nothing else. The only affection shown to the boy was from his mother. She was a kind, powerful queen, and she loved him unconditionally. 

"Torquil, don't listen to what your father says. The only true weakness is the _lack_ of feeling." She sighed. They were walking through the large stone labyrinth on the outskirts of the castle. Torquil had grown into adulthood, but was still oppressed by his father. The queen turned and slid a hand through his golden hair. “That's his weakness. He's strong and calculated, but he is not _feeling_. To be a truly great king you must be both, son.” She wrapped an arm around him.

“But mother,” he sighed, “what if I can't be both?”

“Then choose the side of yourself that makes you happiest.” She smiled, the blue of the sky reflecting in her eyes. “Always remember, Quil, no matter how sad or abandoned you feel, the best thing in life is to find your happiness.”

“How do you find it? There's nothing here that makes me happy.” He looked around disdainfully as they passed the golden stone walls he had seen a million times. 

“You'll find it someday. Maybe in this world or another. And,” she spun in front of him, a bright grin on her face, “I have some good news.” She looked around, as if to make sure they were alone. She bit her lip. “You're about to be a brother.”

“A brother?” He smiled. The queen nodded.

"So, you will have to be a good influence and show him how to be kind as well as strong. He will be quite a bit younger than you, but I know that you two will be the best of friends."

"It's a boy?" His voice jumped with excitement.

“Yes, sweetheart.” She hugged him.

Suddenly, a small yellow goblin popped out of a large bush and walked up to them in a rush. 

“King Jareth requests your presence, majesty.”

“Of course.” She smiled and turned to Torquil. “Remember what I told you.” She hugged him and whispered in his ear, “Find your happiness.”

He nodded. He walked along by himself for a while, thinking. He sighed and appeared in his room. 

“Happiness?” He fell on his bed, his hair fanning out around his head. He swiped his hand in he air above him, a small glass orb appearing in his fingers. He had long ago learned how to wield this royal magic, giving himself the ability to keep an eye on the city and the worlds beyond. In the crystal he saw his mother and the King. His father's face was angry and twisted. His mother was crying. 

Torquil grunted and hurled the sphere at the wall, shattering it. His hair fell over his eyes. “One day I _will_ kill that man.”

He sighed heavily, disappointed at his inability to take action. No matter how angry he was, or how much it was deserved, he could never rise up against his father. He was too weak. He was too afraid. Powerless.

He slid off the bed and shuffled to the shards of glass, kneeling down above them. He waved a hand, snapping all the pieces back together. The crystal shimmered as the cracks dissolved onto its surface. His eyes squinted. Deep within the orb, he saw a flash of red. He raised the sphere, his eyes widening in interest. 

He saw a young girl holding a bright red book with gold writing. _The Labyrinth_ , it read. She held it close to her face, her bright eyes darting over the pages. She captivated him. He could see her pure soul living brightly in her crystal eyes, her mature beauty glossing over her youthful face. She suddenly looked up, seemingly at him. He raised the sphere, her fiery eyes consuming him. 

She sighed, falling back onto the grass. He peered at her as she spoke quietly, "the Goblin Kingdom sounds so adventurous. If it was real, gosh..." She closed her eyes and stretched out. "Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be, take this me of mine far away from me." She looked up sorrowfully, then suddenly began to giggle. "What's wrong with you, Sarah? Of course he won't come." She rubbed her eyes. A woman called her name. The girl jolted and stood up quickly, running in the direction of the voice, "Coming, mom!" 

The images in the orb dissolved and it popped gently in his palm, misting his hand with magic. His eyes were wide. "Find my happiness," he repeated quietly to himself. 

Months passed. He sent goblins out in secret to keep tabs on the girl, on _Sarah_. The name sent shivers up his spine. She would be his queen one day. He had decided. His mother was due any day, the new prince eagerly on his way to the real world. Torquil, in turn, eagerly awaited his arrival. He was content, he was happy. He had found it.

The queen walked with her son once more, strolling through the twists and turns of the labyrinth that they had grown to know by heart. Torquil looked to her worriedly. 

"Mother, whats' wrong? You're shaking."

She was thin and jittery. Her hands were wringing. She shook her head, "Torquil, I need to tell you something." She looked around, like a scared rabbit. She shakily slid a hand through the air, the world slowing down in a purple glow. 

"Mother?" He knew this spell. It shrouded its caster from being heard by unwanted ears by freezing time in the world around them. His brow arched. "Mother, what's wrong?" he said sternly.

She began to cry, her body melting down to the stone floor below. Torquil caught her, kneeling down beside her sobbing body. She raised a hand and gripped his arm.

"He's going to kill me. He's going to kill me."

"Father?" His scared eyes flew over her. She nodded. 

"This child... Quil, I found my happiness. It was not here. It was in another world. My son, I love you, please forgive your mother," she looked up and cupped his face in her hand, "but this child came from that world."     

Torquil looked at her, aghast. His heart sank, "How did _Jareth_ find out?" The name was poison. 

"I don't know." She cried. "I don't know."

"Mother, listen to me," he gripped her hand and raised her eyes to his, "you will gather everything you _cannot_ live without and meet me in the Xylodor chamber. We will hide you in the Underground." 

"Thank you Torquil." She sobbed and hugged him. Her stomach bumped against him and he felt a soft tapping coming from within. 

"I will protect you both. I promise mother." 

She nodded. The surrounding purple faded and the world returned to normal. The queen stood up and said sweetly, hiding her torment, "Oh, sorry dear, I must have fallen." She looked around and wiped her eyes. "This was nice, Quil. Thank you." Her expression was gentle, but her intense eyes held her fear. Torquil nodded. He nervously transported himself to the inverse labyrinth below him. He waved a hand, creating two rooms, purple and green, one for her and one for the baby. He wasn't sure how long they would be down here, but he would be prepared.

His head suddenly became foggy as another mind invaded his own. 

" _King of sadness. King of pain. Death will overwhelm. It is unavoidable, King._ " The voice was soft and unearthly. Torquil's eyes grew wide. 

"Who are you? Who's there?" he called out toward the darkness of the Underground. He looked with shaky eyes, worried he'd been caught. 

" _Xylodor is here. She is hungry, King._ " 

"The Xylodor?" He looked around. "Where are you?"

" _Trapped, King_ ," the voice whined, " _Trapped and hungry. She was taken, her children gone, her family killed, locked beneath the castle. A prisoner. Help her, Jareth._ "

"Jareth?" Torquil sped around. He transported himself to the Xylodor cell, the large dragon-like creature pale and malnourished. Her large eyelids squished heavily over her saucer eyes. He pointed a gloved finger at her. "I am not Jareth! Only Kings can assume that name! It is a herassy to call me that before my time."

" _Your time._ " She sighed and slid toward him limply. She brought her face close to his and whispered in her echoey tone, " _King Jareth, Torquil, time is now. Death will overwhelm. King of pain. Prince of Blackness. He is coming. Go now. Do not forget her, King. Her and Xylodor_." She bowed her head.

"He is coming?" Torquil stepped back. "The prince?" His eyes widened. A scream was heard. He spun around and leapt up the stairs, smashing the gate with his pained magic. He couldn't transport himself to her like this, worried and fearful, his powers were affected. So he ran. He was powerless, caught in anguish, soul, mind, body. 

As he neared the King's chamber, he heard a fearful noise. A baby cried, squeaky and new. His angled brow sank, he couldn't be too late. He swung open the door. 

He was. The Queen laid on the floor, lifeless, her skin bruised and slightly charred. The King stood above her, a ball of flames in one hand and a small wriggly bundle in the other. He turned around to Torquil and smiled. 

"Your mother was unfaithful to me. This is what happens when you defy me, my son." He raised the baby, the child beginning to wail. The base of his wrappings began to smoke, gradually fanning into a small flame. Torquil shook. His eyes caught fire and he slid his hand through the air. He looked down at his mother. _Strong and feeling, son... Be both..._ He let his face swim with tears. A sharp white blade materialized in his hand and he gripped it tightly. The King laughed, the baby screamed. 

"You are no match for me, To-" His words were brought to a halt as Torquil immediately swung. His sword met with his father's black heart in one swift motion. The fire in his hand slowly trickled out and he fell to his knees. Torquil grabbed the baby as the King melted to the floor. He looked to the sword, the bloodied tip dying the weapon black in a wave. It glimmered midnight. The same color began to pool beneath the former King Jareth. 

Torquil's wet eyes turned. He was Jareth now. The Xylodor was right. It was his time to rule. He left the room and closed the door, placing his fingertips against it. The opening in the wall dissolved into the rock, fusing with the stone. The door disappeared, the room sealed off forever. He sighed. The baby in his arm wriggled and the black sword weighed him down. His tears trickled down his cheeks. He looked at the child, who in turn looked up at him with wide, mismatched eyes.

“You,” he said quietly, “This is all your fault. It's because of you my mother is dead.” He straightened his pose, his voice lowering cruelly, “and this kingdom has no place for you.” Jareth marched to the Xylodor pen, his arms full of the weight of his pain.   

The wall was still destroyed. He repaired it with a wave of his hand, the black sword bobbing with his movement. As he walked down the stairs to meet the ancient creature, the baby gurgled. The Xylodor's voice echoed in his head.

" _Jareth returns. Has he forgotten his promise?"_

"My promise," he scoffed, "I failed the second I left her alone with him. It is no longer in effect." He reached her throne. He bent down, placing the baby at her feet. "Your compensation for helping me." His eyes were cross. He threw the sword to the ground haphazardly. "Though you didn't help me at all. You were too late! This is your fault as well!" 

" _Blame? Set the blame on me, on the Black Prince? Who is truly at blame, King? Decide._ " She slithered toward them, her long tongue casing the child's cheek. " _Will you leave him?_ " 

"Yes, do what you like. I have no need of him." He made his way up the steps.

The Xylodor snarled, " _Just like the father._ " 

Jareth's face twisted. And he left without another word.


	21. Family Ties

Sarah gasped. "You," her voice shook, stunned, "You're Jareth's brother?"

Otheo made a descicive nod. "I am. Though only through half of my blood." He turned away and rested a hand on the dusty crib. He sighed. "Every other familial aspect was denied me."  

Sarah took a step forward. "So that's why you hated Sarah so much. She abandoned her brother. Her half-brother... I'm sorry. That must have been so painful." She lifted her hand to touch his shoulder, but decided against it, her arm falling to her side. "I have no idea what that could've been like. Jareth never even told me." She looked up at the cracks of the cieling sorrowfully. 

"And why would he?" The knight turned back around and smiled. "He sent me to be eaten. If he was at all remorseful, he would try to keep it hidden, would he not? He would try to forget me. Little did he know, the creature he thought would bring my death ended up bringing me life." He laughed, "It is funny, is it not?" 

Sarah's eyes drooped sadly, "You don't have to keep face. If you are in pain, you can talk to me."

He sighed, his smile faded. "Thank you, Sarah, but I am quite alright."  

Her brow furrowed. She looked to him, "The Xylodor- your mother told you all this?"

He nodded. 

"So Jareth's name is really Torquil?"

"Yes. It is tradition for the king of the Labyrinth to assume the name Jareth." 

"He never told me." She contemplated, a million thoughts waving over her. "You still haven't told me _your_ name." She looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Will you?" 

Her eyes pierced him. He felt a jolt in his chest, but attributed it to his current emotional state. He nodded weakly. "Otheo. My name is Otheo." 

"Otheo." She smiled. "Well, it's better than 'Sir Knight' I suppose."

"I," he paused, "I have not spoken my name in... a while. It almost feels alien."

"Alien?" She laughed, "Everything's alien." She rose her hand. "The stone, the sky, the air," she gestured at him, "you. That's the world. Everything is perpetually new and perpetually taken for granted. Even names," she paused, "but there's power in a name. Sarah, Otheo, Jareth... Toby." She gasped slightly. She bit her lip, her eyes shining. "Otheo!"

"You said my name already." he corrected.

"No, that's not..." she trailed off and shook her head eagerly, "I've got it! I think I know how to beat him."

"Toby? How?"

"It's the name! You said that it was tradition for the king to become Jareth, but Toby never knew that. He's still Toby!" 

"And the Labyrinth cannot be ruled without a Jareth! I cannot believe I never thought of that!" Otheo smiled and Sarah jumped giddily, but soon their combined excitement subsided. "So what can we do, though? He is still King, Jareth or no. The public seems loyal enough."

"We'd need to overthrow him," Sarah contemplated. "We already know you're more powerful."

"I am not more powerful," the knight interjected.

"But you beat him once."

"He just did not know what to expect. I suppose he will have learned how to overpower me by now, at least."

"But," Sarah argued, "I know that with the two of us working together, we can defeat him."

"Maybe, but there is little chance of any plan of ours actually working. He is very skilled at his trade and very determined to have you dead."

"Maybe. It's all in the name, though. I know it is. Somehow that's the key. We just have to find it." She turned to Otheo. "Do we have time?"

"A bit. Not enough to do thorough research, though." 

"Hm." Sarah poked her lip. Her eyes suddenly jolted open. "My crystal." The knight gave her a confused look. "My crystal! The orb! You took it for me when you brought me to the Xylodor! Where is it?" She pawed his armor anxiously. 

"Careful," he laughed breathlessly, "It is right here." He reached into a small fabric pocket hidden in the metal and slid out the orb. "To be honest, I completely forgot I had it." He handed it to Sarah. "So what is your plan with that?"

"I'm gonna get Jareth." She bit her lip.  
"Jareth?" He scoffed. "You would bring him here after I told you what darkness he harbors? No. I forbid it."

"You forbid nothing," She scoffed instinctively. She eyed him crossly, then softened and laid her hand atop his, "I know what he did was awful, but I also know he's changed- well, this world's version at least. He's the only one Toby'll listen to. Bringing him here is the only way to fix this."

"No. There has to be another way!" His large form trembled as he stood.

"Look at me, Otheo." Sarah flicked her mossy eyes toward the mismatched ones of her companion. "I know what you're feeling. That look on your face, that look of hatred, it's the exact same one that I saw on Toby. I'm not asking you to forgive him right away. I'm not asking you to be happy about it. I only ask that you give him a chance– just like you gave me a chance." She smiled softly. "Do you think you can do that? Can I just give this a try?" 

He sighed deeply and gazed at her. _How is it possible for someone to have this kind of power over me?_ He looked to the floor and nodded. Sarah squeezed his hand. "Alright, let's call your brother."


	22. Blood and Water

She sighed, "Okay." She gripped the crystal in her hands and spun it around, wobbling it between her fingers. She grunted, "You know, I never learned how to use these things!" 

"Oh, come now, you came here by this crystal, you must know how to do something with it." He sighed in disappointment, still unenthusiastic about the decision to call Jareth. Sarah shoved his metal breastplate. 

"Now listen here, buster. I'm trying here, but I seriously have zero idea how to do this. What else can–" Sarah halted. She found herself struck speechless as her hand began to twist around the sphere. Almost as if another was controlling her movements, her palm glided fluidly, the orb dancing around atop her fingers. Otheo looked to her, confused.

"I thought you did not know how to work them?"

"I don't." Sarah's eyes were wide as she flicked the crystal up her forearms and around her knuckles. She noticed it began to glow and her hair stood up on end. Her head shook and she whined out her worries,  "this is... this is crazy! I don't know what I'm doing! I could be summoning Cthulhu for all I know!" 

"Do not worry. Something is happening. Look!"

Sarah peered into the watery glass of the crystal as it shot out beams of white light. Squinting her eyes, she could just make out a familiar form. "It's Jareth! I think it's calling to Jareth!"

Otheo shook his head in defiance, changing his mind yet again. "Put it down, Sarah! We can do this without him!"

“We don’t have time to worry, Otheo! Toby could be coming for us right now! If we don’t figure out a way to end this here and now, it’s all over,” she pointed a compassionate look at her companion, “He _will_ kill us if he gets the chance. You know he will.” 

The knight nodded solemnly, his dark hair bouncing over his eyes. 

“And don’t worry” Sarah continued, a bright smile on her face, “I’m here for you. And I do understand your hesitation. I know what it's like to be abandoned by your family, and just how much that can hurt." She looked to the ground. She brought her head up jovially, but was betrayed by the tears in her eyes. "It’s kinda stupid, so don't laugh okay?" Otheo shifted toward her, unsure what to do. He nodded and listened intently. "I’ll give you the cliffs notes, because we really don’t have time for this, but when I went home the first time, all I could talk about was the Labyrinth. Everyone said I'd changed. At first my father thought it was a good thing, then all of a sudden it wasn’t. He sent me to a shrink who sent me away and I haven’t seen him since.” She laughed and wiped her eyes. Otheo's brow sank. "Anyway to make a long story short, I don't really see most of my family that often. Toby stays in contact, but I know that Daddy would prefer not to have his crazy daughter influence his perfect son. God, he never even visited me in the hospital." She sighed, her smile fading. "I'm just saying, you're not alone." He looked at her intently. Her eyes suddenly grew wide and she shook her hands in front of her. "I'm not comparing though. I get that your trauma is way worse, and everything. I just mean that you don't have to hi-"

Suddenly his hands gripped her shoulders and his arms wrapped around her. In a moment of odd perplexity, Sarah accepted his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his back and melted in his arms. Suddenly the metal-clad form pulled back, taking all her strength with him. 

"That wasn't a pity hug was it?" she laughed cooly, her face dangerously close to his. 

He shook his head, seemingly fazed by his inexplicable action and obviously unaccustomed to showing such forms of emotion. "I- I apologize." He released her arms and turned away from her. "I have no idea what came over me." His body trembled nervously.  

Sarah shook her head, her hands moving before her brain. She turned him back to her and in a second her body tightly coiled around his. It felt very instinctive, not romantic per se, more like two lost children who needed each other for brief consolation. Jareth never even crossed her mind. Though why would he? This was different from before. Otheo didn’t ask anything of her or set any conditions. All each of them really wanted was a friend, for neither had ever had many. Thinking this, Sarah smiled. In this moment, she had found someone who would be there for her. In this moment, she was happy. 

But happiness never lasts. The door creaked. The two didn't even realize they weren't alone until a low, livid voice broke the semi-silence.  

"This won't do," was all he said. Sarah and Otheo turned quickly to the form in the doorway. 

"Jar..." Sarah's voice trailed as Jareth waved a hand in the space in front of her. Otheo lunged. Then the three disappeared. 

 

* * *

  

Jareth and Sarah were alone in a dark, dusty room. Sarah's shaky body had fallen to the ground, not used to the disorienting effects of dissolusion. He towered over her and her heart beat quickly in distress. She was genuinely frightened, but she was slightly at ease knowing that she had no reason to feel regret. She looked up at his threatening form.

"You harlot," He whispered. "You truly are a disappointment." He barely moved, other than his trembling mouth and his shakily frozen exterior. He seemed like a bomb ready to explode. She remained silent. "What, you do not wish to explain yourself? You don't want to cry and whimper and beg me to forgive you?" He scoffed. He turned away, forlorn. "Tell me now. Tell me it was just a mistake."

"It was just a hug," she began, but upon seeing his reaction, she thought better of it. She stood and signed. "Jareth, I'm sorry, I-"

"Good." He laughed very uncomfortably, attempting and failing to put forth an aura of dominance. He turned back around with a sorrowful smile. "In that case, I am prepared to-"

"No, Jareth." She stepped forward and gingerly pulled her arms around him. He began to tremble. She spoke softly, "I- I can't." She released him and looked into his eyes. He eyed her, stoic and cold. "I just can't anymore." 

He breathed heavily. "Why?" was all he could mutter. She looked to the ground. He scowled and roughly pulled her chin up to his. She cried out. "Why?" He screamed, "Why am I so impossible to love?" 

She pushed away from him, her brow arching. "Because you make it impossible! You put me in danger—put my _brother_ in danger! You were horrible and conceited and unbearable!" Her breath shook as she held a pause. She shook her head and let out a soft, defeated laugh. "And you were _wonderful_. I loved you. I dreamed about you all my life, but I realize now, that was never _love_. Desire, sure– the primal need to be in a place that is better than the one we're _forced_ to occupy. The Labyrinth was my beautiful prison. You were the thing that made me feel free, but it wasn't real. It never was. It was Stockholm syndrome." He'd never heard that term, but his heartbroken mind barely registered anything after 'that was never love'. She went on, "I was helplessly imprisoned by my blind adulation. I would have given anything for you to come and rescue me, and I would've been entirely yours. Forever. You were all I wanted, but Jareth, you never even told me your _name_. I realized that as much as you knew about me, I knew absolutely nothing about you. Torquil," she paused. A gasp left his lips. He looked pained and, for the first time since he was a child, vulnerable. His eyes glazed over. Sarah cupped his face as a small bulb of salty water freely dripped from the corner of his eye, held captive for far too many years. His hand rose shakily and laid atop hers. She smiled sweetly. "I will always be here for you if you need me, but I'm not your happiness."

He winced, not even caring about how she discovered this information. "Who was he?"

Sarah sighed, "It's not my... I think you should ask _him_ that."

"Fine." His brow arched heavily and his nostrils flared. He looked vengeful.

"Don't kill each other. Please.”

"We'll see." He disappeared, Sarah only now realizing she was in an oubliette. The light that was there only seconds before flickered out with his departure. She was left alone in the darkness with nothing but her wild heart beat and her quiet prayers that neither brother would do anything too extreme. 

Otheo, meanwhile, was in a much more drastic state. By the time Jareth arrived to deal with him he had almost fallen feet first into the bog of eternal stench. The knight hung from a protruding branch extending from the stone wall, drooping and pulling its roots due to the weight of Otheo's heavy armor. Jareth floated himself onto the ledge above him. He normally would never even assault his nose with the foulness of the bog of stench, but this was a very special case. He stared at the struggler below his feet, entirely unsure how to begin, and entirely tempted to simply break the branch and revel in the last few moments of his rivals life. He contemplated as the man below struggled.

"What have you done with her?" The knight called out. "If you have hurt her, I swear-"

Jareth's hand slid through the air, silencing him. He mumbled through glued lips. Jareth looked down on him menacingly. "That is no way to talk to your king, cretin."

In a flash, Otheo released one hand from the branch and pulled his sword from the scabbard at his waist, swiftly plunging in into the stone and swinging his body next to Jareth's. It was quite an impressive feat and even Jareth stood there stunned, but mostly because of the two eyes starting back at him. His eyes.

"No," he mumbled bewildered. The knight knelt down and gripped the hilt of the black blade, ripping it out of the wall with a quick tug. Jareth glared at the sword, dark as midnight, dark with the evil of his father's blood. His eyes widened. "It can't be." 

The knight ripped his mouth open with a pained grunt and scowled, his resolve overpowering the other's magic. "Hello, brother." 

“Are you a ghost? Back to haunt me?” Jareth’s voice shook uncontrollably. 

“You wish. I am to be feared much more than the undead.”

Jareth stood, shocked. Otheo swung his sword in a flash, the Goblin King sliding out of the way with unfocused ease. He levitated himself out of the knight's range and spun a finger toward him. The world grew deep purple and Otheo slowed, motionless. Jareth sunk down, lowering his eyes to the matching ones below him. He gasped, shaking, and again a tear tumbled down his skin. His arm leaned down and his trembling fingers stretched out. His fingertips slid along the other’s frozen cheek and Jareth wept. He didn't even notice the world lose its purple hue. 

"You cry? After all your actions, _you_ are the one who cries?"

Jareth gasped and fell to the thin wall below him, his heart in his throat. The knight eyed his brother, a look of disdain on his face.

“How?” the elder whimpered, attempting to regain some composure. 

“Magic is in our blood,” Otheo sliced his sword through the air, its trail ending just inches from the other’s face. He grunted, “And I’ve been practicing.” He pulled back his blade and lunged it toward Jareth, catching him deeply in the cheek. The older brother, stunned and bloody, brought up a glowing hand and disappeared, causing Otheo to lose his footing. He tumbled over the wall, just catching himself back on the ledge. He pulled his weighty body back up and fumed, his fiery eyes flickering to the sky above him. He didn't know if Jareth could hear him, but that didn't matter. He rose his head and screamed into the void, “Ah, brother! Such cowardice does not befit a king! I am disappointed in my lineage!” He lifted his sword in defiance, a strong aura growing around it. “Let it be war between us!”

Back in the oubliette, Sarah gasped as Jareth reappeared before her. This time he brought no light, but her eyes had adjusted enough to see that he looked frantic. He collapsed onto the dusty floor and breathed heavily bringing his hand to his cheek, Sarah only now noticing the steady stream of blood that was cascading down his face. 

“Oh my God, Jareth! You’re bleeding! Did Otheo-”

“You knew?” His eyes darted to hers and he stood. Sarah took a step back. He didn’t often look dangerous, but if she was sure about anything, it was that she did not want to be stuck in a dark, little room with him right now. She pressed herself to the wall, not breaking eye-contact. 

“Listen, Jareth, Torquil, whatever the hell you want me to call you. He told me everything. Your parents, what you did to him, the Xylodor. I know how terrible and ashamed you feel,” her clear voice bounced around the space. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe, feeling a strong pressure on her neck. She pawed at her throat, but there was no obstruction. With watery eyes she looked to Jareth who aimed a clawed hand at her. He neared, half of his face dark with blood.

“You know nothing. You _are_ nothing.” He pinched his hand inward and Sarah felt the pressure increase. She tried to choke out his name, but felt her throat begin to crush beneath the weight of her great love’s magic. The small, dark world started fading red.

Out of nowhere she was released from his grip and fell heavily to the floor. She gently held her neck with a shaking hand, barely able to breathe. She coughed and choked, which just made her pain worsen. She looked up at him with terrified eyes, but instead of seeing the monster she expected, she saw a simple child. Jareth was sobbing and staring at his palms, his entire body trembling. He fell to his knees and dropped his head, a whisper escaping his mouth, “I am so sorry Sarah. I understand now. I cannot be loved. I don’t deserve it. Look at me. Look at what I’ve done— to you, to him. I am a monster. I am sorry. I am so sorry.” He collapsed, his hair sweeping against the ground. Sarah's brow knotted and she felt uneasy. If she could speak, she would tell him that he wasn’t a monster, that it was just his lot in life and his experiences that formed the way he handled the world around him, and she knew how insane that was. Even after he had nearly killed her— for good this time, she could not help herself from wanting to help him. _How totally screwed up am I? The last thing I should do is try to make him feel better. But… he’s so sad._ She gently shook her head and tried to sigh, though it sounded more like a groan. _Come on, Sarah, you'll have time to be logical about this later. Right now, just look at him. He's broken. Be strong— for both of you._ She took a deep breath and scooted close to him, where he released his emotions into the dirt of the oubliette in a slough of salt water and blood. She stretched out her arms and wrapped herself around him, his body shaking violently beneath her. “I should let him kill me. I deserve it.” He whimpered. Sarah cupped his cheeks and pulled his face up to hers. Her brow furrowed and she shook her head side-to-side. He sat up and placed a hand over hers. With a quick sniffle he kissed her cheek. In the blink of an eye he was gone again, leaving Sarah alone with a bloody palm, a crushed larynx, and a heart filled with conflicting emotions.


End file.
